Silver Lining
by Prudence Chastity
Summary: Smoke & Mirrors Sequel. From a starved, raped addict, Fang has a long way to go. Lightning's distanced from everyone she loves to keep the peace & all their lives moving. Neither can do it on their own. From family support to the touch of a lover, our girls struggle to come through their problems. LightningxFangxSummer Story of healing for all. SkyxVanille, HawkexSerah
1. Chapter 1

"Hawk's been making fun of me," Fang complained with a pout into the curious little receiver device that'd transport her voice to Lightning. "She picks me up and tosses me like I'm a child." She could almost hear Lightning's smile.

"I'd pay to see that."

"You could for free," Fang tempted again, "It'd only take a little visit down to see Serah out here."

"And take advantage of your hospitality again?" Lightning breezed off, "I've still got the scars from last time."

"Okay, okay," Fang allowed, knowing she wouldn't accept the invitation. Lightning never did. But Fang still offered every time she called, "I'll have Serah send her picture of it from the one time."

"You must be such a cute lightweight compared to all the other Yuns."

"Hey!"

Lightning chuckled softly. "You sound like you're getting better, Fang."

"I am," Fang agreed, "Nothing like Gran Pulse to cure me up out of craziness. They've all been especially watchful of me this past month too."

"You scared them," Lightning pointed out, "When you came to visit me."

"I know," Fang rubbed her neck, "I told them I wasn't gonna run away, but you know how Mom worries… she gets nervous when I disappear for too long. And Dad wasn't too happy about it. Sky neither."

"Stay there and be good," Lightning eased, "They just want you to be safe."

"I will," Fang promised, eyes on the little blonde rushing her way to Fang and the communication station she was on. "Not to break topic, but there's a speeding, strawberry projectile about to overtake me for this phone."

"Thanks for catching up with me, Fang."

"Of course," It was the least Fang could do for Lightning after everything that'd already passed. Serah barely came to a skidding, halting stop, helped by Fang in front of the phone.

"Claire!" Serah shouted excitedly.

"I'll talk to you again soon, Claire." Fang promised into the phone before handing it to Serah. She rubbed the slender girl's shoulder and distanced from the receiver so she wouldn't overhear. Not so prominently, anyway. Fang returned to where Mom was waiting a few notches away with Summer, who'd arrived with Serah shortly after her and Anya.

"Sounds like Lightning's doing well."

"She is," Fang agreed, nodding to her mother, "She just got a promotion to Private First Class and she's still ranking. Next test will place her by the end of her Cocoon month."

"So I heard," Anya seconded, probably only understanding half of it as Fang had. It seemed like they graded their soldiers to some scale or another to decide these things; Fang would wager Lightning could beat half the barracks already from their sessions alone. Boot camp must've been a cinch for her. "I'm glad she's okay," Fang could hear the honesty in Anya's statement and appreciated it. Mom was really making the effort and had listened to Fang's claims; Summer too. Both these women had been pillars of strength for Fang through and through.

"Did you get enough time to talk?" Summer asked kindly, earning a small smile from Fang. In the shining sunlight, Summer was beautiful as ever. A woman among women. Long, gliding legs led to a body of perfect proportions, hips that weren't too big, but enough to curve her womanly body, and a face that would make a Yun praise the ground she lived on for bestowing such a gift to her people. Chestnut eyes with citrine shards of amber drew anyone's attention, almost matching the perfect locks of her shoulder-length, mahogany hair, fused so perfectly with sungold highlights, no artist's hand could fake such a thing. She was the embodiment of woman, and she'd been a true friend to Fang in recovering from her addictions.

"We caught up. I told her about all the exercises I'm doing here to get strong again. She said they have her doing a lot of that there too, and that they've been scouting her out. It's not like when we trained, but she seems content. Misses Serah mostly, it sounds like. I extended invitation again, but…"

"Give it time," Anya coaxed, taking Fang's hand to squeeze. "Lightning needs that too."

"I know," Fang rubbed the back of her neck, "Lightning sounds happy enough, but…" Fang glanced Serah's way where the girl excitedly talked into the receiver, so relieved to hear from Lightning again. "I just wish we could get Serah back with her again. When Lightning sent that clip of pictures last week, I saw Serah crying with them later in her room…" it strained Fang's heart to see. Even happy with Hawke, the younger Farron noticeably missed and longed for her sister. Fang could understand how much her only living family meant to the girl; as a Yun, she knew that best of all. She only wished she could bring the sisters together again.

"They're as close as family can be." Anya agreed, rubbing Fang's hand as she looked on after Serah too.

"They'll get there, Fang," Summer said, sweetly reassuring. "You never know how things will end up with a little time."

"I hope so," Fang ached. It wasn't fair that Lightning should be stuck in Cocoon after all that happened; not while Fang sat comfortably at home with her whole family doting on her and helping to heal. Fang wasn't even worthy of that, yet Lightning was the one left alone without even her sister anymore. Whether she seemed happy or not, Fang would rectify the chasm of worlds between the Farron sisters. She had to. In time.

**XXX**

Sky's long, straight strands fell back, blue highlights mixing with her dark coloring as her head rose suddenly, attentively from her children's playing to listen. Beautiful blue eyes squinted to listen. Vanille peeped at her from under red bangs after a moment of drawing with the children and asked. "Are they back?"

"I think so."

Without Sky's sensitive Yun hearing, Vanille had no way to know for herself, but she'd long ago learned to trust the Yun senses of her friends and betrothed around her.

"But I'm not done with my picture," Ember complained, drawing with the thinned edge of a colored and oil-mixed wax candlestick that'd been rolled for children. Her brunette-and-amber locks tied back in a tail, the little flecks of offsetting blue glimmered in the sun from the window.

"No, Em," Rivera reached out, helping her sister as she had the past hour so Ember could make the perfect picture. "A blacksmith's forge is black. It gets all sooty because of the work they do. That's why they call it black."

"What if it's a new forge?"

"It's still got fire soot. But sometimes they're gray, I suppose." Ember put down the black, trimmed candlestick wax and searched for a gray one instead, which Rivera found for her and Ember took from her scruffy, blue-haired sister with a smile. In contrast to Ember's, Rivera's golden dashes gleamed, the rich color inherited from her mother's gorgeous, mahogany gold. The blue came from Sky.

"Keep coloring, sweetie," Vanille encouraged the youngest at only 3 tiny years of age, "We don't have to show Mommy until you want to."

Vanille looked up to her Yun lover, who still seemed to be listening attentively. Sky was something. With long, flowing black hair that fell to her knees from an impressive Yun height, just shorter than Fang. She might be easily mistaken for a Sylk herself with that black hair, if not for the beautiful, cobalt highlights that twined her long strands, easily placing her out as Yun. With deep blue eyes that matched the streaks in her hair, sharp, feminine features with a smooth, even chin, lips that curled in perpetual growling, a small, shapely nose, and thin, straight-serious eyebrows, Sky was all woman with the slender body to match.

Except… the one part of her that wasn't _all _woman entirely. Sky was one of the select Yuns…changed over the years. Where her body resembled the full feminine beauty her people were most known for, there was a little secret hidden in those form-fitting jeans. Not a little secret—actually, a big one. It was the tipping point where her femininity ended and something else had formed, a secret most of the tribes knew, but little enough of Cocoon believed.

Sky had a penis.

Distinguished among the tribes and Yuns as _stud _and _femme_ respectively, Sky was one of the rare female Yuns with what'd come to be known as a blessing among her people. It was one of the most tribal-known traits of the Yuns and valued worldly across Gran Pulse. Though the infliction had long ago been looked upon as that— a curse— it was now widely treasured by the planet to the point that their society had built around the cherishing of children. With all the men pushed from the planet, Gran Pulse had developed in its tribal sects as it was meant to. It'd only been in the very recent decade they'd allowed sparse tourism to take up in monitored sections of their land.

But all that was ancient history; what mattered today was that Vanille had been gifted enough to not only share intimacies with a Yun, but that she also shared a ring with one. Not long ago, five or six months, Vanille had been made the happiest of her lifetime on a second occasion when Sky had proposed. Of course, she'd accepted in an instant; she loved Sky. But now that moment held a shared happy and troubling instance in Vanille's heart. For with her acceptance came a dooming, as they later learned. Vanille was shamefully infertile and unfit.

Yet, still Sky loved her.

It was the most troublesome conflict of gut-wrenching news Vanille had learned in her life. Deep shame aside, she couldn't get over the fact that Sky would never have a child again while she lived, for Sky wouldn't leave. Worse, she didn't believe it was her place to share and spread her seed, and wouldn't to stay faithful to Vanille instead, who could bear her nothing to bring to this world. Sky was much too loyal to leave her, even when Vanille told her to, but every time Vanille thought on it, her little heart broke a little more each time. She was crippling Sky, sterilizing her, and there wasn't a solution in the world they could agree on.

Even looking upon her now in her beauty, two children already had— to Summer, not Vanille— Vanille couldn't help feeling solely responsible, as if she had cut Sky herself. Only 22, and Sky would go barren.

It shook Vanille to her core. Nothing could make that better.

"Do you want to go down to her?" Sky asked, ever so kindly about her and Fang in the sensitive matter of Fang's healing.

"No, that's okay," Vanille shook her head, "She's with Summer and Anya now, and I'm sure Jaeger wants to find her first anyway. She's usually happier after the calls, so…"

Sky's piercing blues found her again as she stopped actively trying to listen. She lifted a hand to Vanille's shoulder and rubbed down her back, silent. Vanille knew she didn't approve or like Fang keeping a connection to Lightning, but even Sky's normally-argumentative side had softened when it came to Fang. She didn't like seeing Fang the way she was: skinny, thin, undersized and muscled. None of them did. And in the wake of that, Sky made a visible effort to limit her arguments over it. She still disapproved, everyone knew that, but Vanille felt, even Sky must've been too affected by Fang's slow healing to make issues of it.

"Like that, Ma?" Ember asked then, rousing Vanille from her thoughtfulness to see the parchment she colored on. "That's what the forge part is?"

"That's right, sweetie." Vanille complimented, "That looks very accurate. You draw so well, honey. Mommy's going to love it."

Ember smiled proudly. Rivera pointed to another part of the forge. "It needs some ash, Em," and Ember got to work fixing that importantly.

The door behind them pushed in, already open, but now fully to reveal Serah, looking happier as she usually did after her chats with Lightning. Happy and a little anxious. "Hey, guys," Her eyes flicked over the room. "Where's Kierra?" Serah asked after Summer's first and eldest.

"She felt a little tired. Went to her room to lie down," Sky filled in, waving her in. Serah came in and sat on the floor between Vanille and Sky. "Hawke's still at the forge?"

"Yeah, for now," Serah peered at the parchment, "What've you got there, Ember? Drawing a smithy?"

"Rivera remembers the details." Ember claimed, perhaps not fully understanding the details of her sister's memory, which they'd seen was as picture as Sky's. The little blue-eyed child could remember everything from the littlest utterance to a flash of a picture she'd only seen but for a moment. Vanille knew the ability had to come from her father; Sky's memory was just as good, holding every significance she'd seen in her mind. Vanille loved it about Sky.

"It's beautiful," Serah complimented, honestly impressed with how well the little one drew. "Look at the colors and shading. You've got a knack for that, Ember."

"What's a knack?"

"It's a talent," Rivera filled in for her younger sister, "It means you're good at drawing."

Ember gave her a big smile that lit up her pretty eyes. "Thanks, Serah!"

"Lady Serah," Sky corrected softly. Ember gave her apology for the slip. Rivera glanced up at Serah with the correction, but she didn't protest that Serah wasn't of the tribes this time. Vanille took it as a good sign of Rivera's growing acceptance of Serah. It'd been harder at first; like her father, Rivera was stubborn, and she had the 'Lightning's sister' association to Serah. That had dwindled with the passing of two long months of the year's six, but it was still a hard path to gain all Rivera's trust. The Cocoon association carried much negative weight, especially that which associated to Lightning. It'd been the reason they had to move out of Paddra for a time. While most of the Yuns were ready to forgive and help Fang back to health, they weren't so happy with Serah's presence. They hadn't been forced, but they might well have been. Serah's life would've been in too much danger to stay.

So, they'd moved out. Temporarily. At least, Vanille knew that's what everyone hoped for anyway. Paddra was the Yuns home and they didn't like being from it, but as a family, they'd all chosen these sacrifices to make. It wasn't so bad, Vanille reckoned, though that might've just been a personal opinion of her own. The Sulyya Springs were beautiful, warm, and homely. The little village that'd settled there might be comparable to her home in Oerba, minus all the farmers, but it was small and cozy.

Filled with Sylk and Teff women alike, the small village of Roe was a craftsmaker's home with sewers, weavers, blacksmiths and glass molders. Every kind of craft was established in this small town, and shipped out from the small port with Rivaini and merchant-trading Aku alike. It didn't bustle as much as Paddra, but Vanille could appreciate both the sounds and the quiet here. She didn't have to be in a soundproof room not to hear the racket from the markets or two women making loud love to each other—not that Vanille didn't like those sounds either, it was just kind of nice to burrow away into a smaller town for awhile. She watched the long, dark haired weavers like her lover, making quiet, but quick work of the most beautiful dresses and pratical pieces for the Yuns. Or if she wanted to hear the strike of hammer to the stone, she could cross the little town and fondly watch the blacksmiths with Serah. It was a nice, nature-living kind of town.

Vanille would be amiss if she didn't add the hotsprings too. Paddra had warm waters, but nothing like the tub temperatures of these springs just up the village to the caverns with the wonderful hottubs. Vanille could soak in those waters forever, her own little paradise with her few, close friends.

Sadly, Vanille's content couldn't be shared to a full extent by anyone, not even herself. Not when they had Fang to tend after everything that'd gone wrong, or when Serah was with them, reminding them all why they couldn't go home. None of them would have it any other way; it'd been thoroughly discussed and decided on as a whole. Despite her association to Lightning, which half the family loathed, Serah wasn't her sister. She hadn't known of the ruse Lightning and Fang had made, nor had she learned of the dire consequences until it was much too late. Serah had made the choice to come with them and Hawke, and that's what seemed to matter the most to Jaeger. Sky had never hated her, and Vanille physically couldn't. She didn't know how she truly felt about Lightning, much less enough to hate Serah for being innocent of what'd happened by association.

But that was the sad truth of it and why their family now lived in a house that'd belonged to Kale, one of Summer's child-giving lovers. The locals had been very welcoming, regardless. With the severe limitation of studs, they'd been more than happy to open their arms to a family of four studs and other skilled Yuns. It was a very good trade for the hunting potential of gleaning on six well-trained Yuns, one who even specialized in blacksmithing, the town's livelihood. In exchange for welcoming their services, they'd build on additional rooms to Kale's house and a whole upstairs. Vanille's family had taken turns going out on hunts since, inbetween caring for Fang, which was a full-time job itself.

"Did your phone call go well?" Sky asked kindly, and Vanille was proud of her because she didn't have to do that. Serah knew how Sky felt. It was sweet of her to ask; Sky's effort counted to Vanille.

"It did," Serah confessed, eyes turning down with surprise and perhaps shyness to say anything that might rouse up hurtful feelings. "She's doing well… in the GC." Sky had worked there once. Sort of, anyway. She'd been contracted only as a freelancer mercenary, but the association away from PSICOM didn't hurt. "They're watching her for promotion… and we talked a little. About Fang, about Hawke…"

"About us?" Sky asked, glancing at Vanille, who winced. She hoped it hadn't come off too harsh to Serah.

"A little bit," Serah admitted, anxiety showing a little more. "She… she said she heard of a doctor— "

"We don't need a doctor!" Sky cut off sharply. Vanille's shoulders hunched as her heart skipped a beat in fear. She wanted to reach out for Sky's hand, but Serah was between them and it'd be too noticeable. Even Rivera looked up from her sister's drawing for some sort of direction from Dad, who'd stiffened with stubborn, broken pride over Vanille's problem. Vanille didn't realize she'd held her breath until Sky used a softer tone to try to say, "I mean, we've already seen a doctor." She relayed stiffly. "Hearing it again isn't going to help."

Rivera looked between her and Sky as if for direction. Vanille's throat had gone tight. She took the only hand she could, Rivera's, and gave it a gentle squeeze to ease her. Serah swallowed too, eyes kept down. This wasn't Sky liked to talk about to anyone. Not even her, most times. "She's a herbalist," Serah offered softly, words a little quick and small, "From Gran Pulse. She wouldn't diagnose it again, just maybe… she could offer something."

Sky's jaw hadn't loosened. "_Lightning _found this?" Even by the way she said her name alone, Vanille could feel her contempt. Where Sky couldn't do anything about their situation, it'd seemed to have grown her anger over Lightning. She always was a sensitive topic; worse, when it included Sky. Sky hated the part of secrecy they'd played in Fang's undoing and wholly blamed Lightning for it. Vanille couldn't ease all things for her love.

"I told her to."

"That a lie?" Sky asked, almost vicious. Serah finally lifted her head to look at Sky with round, gray eyes.

"Sky, please." Serah asked. Sky's jaw tightened another nitch. She closed her own eyes, Vanille hoped in calming, and sat a moment like that. When she opened her eyes again, they weren't as angry as before.

"What's her name?" Vanille's heart pattered a bit. She wanted to hug Sky until her troubled heart quelled. With her best friend half broken and her chosen, courted mate incapable, she'd had these times outside of herself. Vanille's lover needed healing too, and she couldn't give it the same way as before.

"Kitty from Norath," Serah said in a breath. "It's not far from Roe. I checked…"

Sky sighed out, finally. "Vanille can send out a letter. If I have downtime in the next week… maybe we'll look into it."

Vanille couldn't contain her heart, which leapt for Sky with arms to embrace her. Sky gave her a gentle squeeze back. She was trying so hard!

"I'm going to check up on Kierra," Vanille heard Serah say as she started to stand.

"Serah," Sky froze her in her tracks in hugging Vanille, who clung to her hard and squeezed more when she spoke. "Thanks for… trying."

Serah didn't say anything else, but she might've given Sky a meek smile or something. Vanille kept her face buried in Sky's arm and prayed. She prayed for them all.

**XXX**

Jaeger sped to the door at the very first sound of its opening. Fang entered first with Anya, Jaeger was happy to see. "Dad," Fang greeted, seeming unsurprised to find Jaeger so attentive at hand, and she wouldn't be. Jaeger had been attentive for months. Not enough, though, as Fang's mini-adventure at the start of the month had proved.

"I've dried out some jerky bits," Jaeger said in greeting, not really wanting to know of her lovestricken daughter's chat with the pink-haired devil. She'd discuss it later with Anya and keep a particularly watchful eye out on Fang for the next week, lest her troubled daughter get any further ideas about visiting again. "Come, sit down."

"Don't eat too much," Anya warned, "We're starting dinner, and I don't want her appetite to go to waste." Both of them knew how fast Fang could get filled nowadays. So small, her daughter rivaled Serah in size, but at least Jaeger couldn't see her ribs like a skeleton anymore. They still showed a bit, sure, but Anya and Jaeger both worked hard to get meat on her bones again so she wasn't deadly frail. Jaeger had a ways to go to build her daughter up yet, but at least she could feel safe in knowing Fang wouldn't keel over again just out of the blue.

"I'll eat dinner, Mom." Fang promised. Jaeger took Fang through the living and dining rooms to the kitchen table to sit.

"Stay here, Fang." Jaeger ordered and only trusted she would because Anya and Summer were in the other half of the expanded kitchen to start dinner preparations. Serah had disappeared to the bathroom. Jaeger disappeared to grab the sun-dried jerky strips from the dining room window and brought them back to the smaller kitchen table for Fang.

"Munch on those, my girl. But don't fill up."

"Thanks, Dad," Fang took one and started eating as Jaeger sat in the seat catty-corner to her. They didn't talk about her phone call. They never did. Jaeger hated seeing her baby's eyes light up in regards to that pink-haired succubus, and Fang had months ago stopped trying to sway her to see Lightning differently. It was a topic the two avoided when they weren't looking for a fight.

"Let me see your arm," Jaeger insisted, and Fang knew the drill. Fang scooted her chair so she was closer to Jaeger and weakly held out her bandaged arm for Jaeger as best as she could. In a tank top, her bandaged arm was barren. Jaeger slowly unwrapped it from the shoulder down, careful not to bump her poor daughter with callous fingers, but only brushed her skin once with the gentlest of touches. When the wrap came to the first jagged incision, it stuck a little to dried blood. Jaeger eased a finger under to loosen it and continued to do so as she went along. Fang munched, wincing on occasion as Jaeger unwrapped the clinging gauze cloth.

Fang's worst injury revealed in pieces. First came the deep slashes she'd made on the end of her shoulder, but the fully-open wound revealed next. Missing chunks of skin and slashed-into muscle followed, capped with bundles of mossy clumpweed to fill in the gapes where skin and muscle had been hacked out. The charred skin had been burned around the edges of the divot to keep the blood from flowing out. Most of the muscle was in tact now under the clumpweed, but two long months ago—four Cocoon months— that wasn't the case at all.

In Fang's darkest of hours, when she'd been alone, addicted, high and drunk in the worst of depressions after being raped and thrown out, all due to the pink-haired vixen Jaeger hated most in both words, Fang had carved the sign of her tribal pride and love out with God-knew what. It looked like her spear, the injury had been so bad. Fang had carved to the bone in spots, _into _it in others, and chopped through muscle like an amateur with a hacksaw. Anya had almost fainted at first sight of it, then actually did when Sophia, the hired Cocoon nurse, told them the arm would have to come off. 'Even if she healed of this by some miracle without the infection killing her, she'll never have functionality of the arm back again. Might be able to lift it to write, but that's it. And it'll take months.'

The devastating blow was softened with Summer. Gran Pulse had methods Cocoon didn't know about, and Summer had a naturally gift from the Gods with the most basic of otherworldly healing. She'd never even attempted on someone hurt as bad as Fang was and wasn't sure she'd be able to help at all, but slowly, against the advice of Cocoon's finest and with the medical expertise of both, they had tried it. Jaeger had even gone to the growingly-estranged Brell magic-tinkerers for help, who'd refused outright to even try. But with Summer's gift, lots of anguish, rehab, and the sad need for restraints, which had horrified Fang into hallucinations and day-mares, they slowly trickled through those first couple of months.

Fang still wasn't better. The damage she'd done to herself was so extensive, she'd been a blink away from death. They'd battled through her self-starvation, resistance, addictions, and inflictions all, and they were still fighting. Fang even still used clumpweed, primarily to stop the flow of blood and pain, but Jaeger suspected she still used it sometimes for the shakes. They'd had to wean Fang off her many addictions to drugs, which Jaeger considered almost a complete success, but she'd walk in on Fang at night half a month ago, picking at the weed in her arm to inhale it. She'd been shaking, and she paled so white when Jaeger came in, she'd almost passed out. Jaeger had taken it from her, re-wrapped Fang's arm, and held her long into the night.

Fang was really trying, Jaeger knew, and she'd come a long way from death's bedside, but this small, underfed girl still paled in comparison to the proud Yun Jaeger had raised. They had a long, bumpy road left before they got Fang back.

Jaeger pulled at the bloodied, yellow-and-white smeared bandage until it came fully off, her injuries falling down almost to the elbow, her mangled tattoo had been so brazen and large on her arm. The worst of it was her upper arm, where Fang had sliced off the whole section in chunks until it'd all come off, but the bottom portion had its own plugs of clumpweed in the peeled-out flesh, even in spots where the tattoo hadn't been. Fang hadn't been of sound mind; Jaeger didn't want to think of how extensive that damage was when they'd first seen her, or how Fang might've been mangled for life. What mattered now was getting her back as she was.

Fang chewed her jerky as Jaeger pulled out a plug of clumpweed, revealing as far as muscle with only the thinnest layer of flesh etching overtop it to protect. Jaeger checked Fang's face to see how she was doing. In addition to plugging up the injury while Summer slowly managed to literally _grow _her flesh back, the clumpweed eased raw pain in Fang's arm. "How's it feel today?"

"The weed's blocking most of the pain. And the cauterized edges..." Fang reported, not looking at Jaeger. She never looked at her when speaking of her addiction or things she considered shameful, like the rape and even Lightning sometimes, the few times she brought it up around dad.

"Your last session was five days ago?"

"Yeah…"

Jaeger gently replaced the clumpweed very gently into Fang's arm. "You should have another session today, if Summer feels up for it."

"I could do that," Summer answered from the other kitchen half where she peeled potatoes for Anya. "After dinner."

Fang winced, but she didn't protest. She wanted all the healing done just as much as any of them, if for different reasons. Jaeger knew her daughter had no intentions of getting another tattoo back there, even when she was fully healed, which wouldn't be for quite some time. The emotional healing of Fang's Yun pride and honor would take longer yet, even after they fully got her body back as she was supposed to be. "You can forgo the later session with me and Hawke today," Jaeger forgave, very aware of how much pain and stress Fang would be in with Summer earlier in the day, too maxed out for training after. "Sky and Vanille can take you to the hotsprings after, if you'd like. Maybe I'll go too. You usually like to soak after, don't you?"

"Dad," Fang almost squeaked on a breath as Jaeger touched her shoulder behind the injuries. Jaeger met her green eyes, which were shy and scared. "You don't have to go… to watch me." Fang said shyly, extremely sensitive to revealing her body of late. Her shallow cheekbones were instant reminder why. Hell, even her hair wasn't long enough. Fang had shaved it at some point. It was growing back, but not fast enough. Jaeger wanted her daughter back again as she was, so Fang could know how freaking beautiful she was again. All her healing just went so damn slow; Jaeger wanted Fang again.

But she didn't trust her anymore. Not like she did. Not like a father should have good faith in her daughter's judgment. Fang had been through hell and back. Her good sense wasn't there anymore, evidence enough in the phone calls and escape to see Lightning. She had such a long way to go.

"Just to war off the wolves," Jaeger mumbled gruffly, though they both knew it was a lie. "Can't have an Ezo eating up your skin and bones."

Fang hung her head, but she didn't protest it again. Jaeger's fingers left her arm. "Leave that open; get some air before you go with Summer again."

"Okay, Dad." Fang agreed softly, saddened. She pulled at Jaeger's heart, but Jaeger just couldn't sit in frightened unknowing when Fang went out.

"Jaeger, can you pull some steaks from the icehouse?" Anya asked from behind the counter. "We're trying these wraps out."

"Okay," Jaeger stood and kissed the top of Fang's head. "I'll be back in a moment."

She only wished she could trust Fang on her own again. Someday, she would. Until then, Jaeger wasn't just a guardian or a parent to Fang, she was her protector, and she wouldn't let Fang go.


	2. Chapter 2

Summer cradled her arm at the elbow where Fang wasn't injured. Lying on the bed, Fang closed her eyes. "Are you ready?" Summer asked softly, voice floating over Fang, who croaked.

"Yeah."

Summer began picking the clumpweed from Fang's arm. Unbearable pain would follow soon enough, but for now, as Summer removed the placeholder for skin, Fang just felt a draft. It stung, of course, having air exposed to the raw wound. Fang had never been squeamish, but even she knew how awful it looked. And Summer knew it better than all of them, the one directly responsible for reknitting Fang's muscle and sinew bit by bit. With more air exposed, the wound stung a little more and continued to do so as Summer pulled the grassy-ended pieces out. "Tell me when you've had too much."

"I will," Fang promised, being quiet for the first part of this so Summer could concentrate. She wanted to take Summer's mind off the injury, but it was too dangerous at the start. "Thank you," Fang only said. Summer stroked her elbow in responding caress as she pulled the last of the clumpweed clean. Fang could feel the fresh air of the room on her injury like a stinging plague. She tried to relax and bit down on her teeth in case the urge to bite came when she started. Summer's second hand left her elbow as the first went to her forehead. She didn't warn Fang because Fang would tense, and it made the pain worse. Fang just waited, eyes closed with an arm that felt empty and stung at the touch of air.

The light glow of green behind her eyelids accompanied with an expected, but startling grip of agony in her arm. Heat like molten lava sliced through Fang's arm. She could feel the fine tendrils, so miniscule as to be little millimeters of flesh. The innermost skin near the muscle where they'd cauterized started to bleed freely again. Skin that wasn't meant to heal seemed to grow out of nowhere in an accelerated, unnatural fashion that broke and bled burnt edges of flesh. Fang could feel her heart start to race as her body's functions took up speed with the healing that wasn't supposed to happen this way or at all.

She knew it was impossible; the layers of skin Summer stretched to grow wouldn't compare to a tenth the height of a fingernail, but it _felt _like her flesh was knitting, and it was, but the impossibly thin knitting was imagined more than felt. Nerves in Fang screamed as that paper-thin skin grew from her bodies accelerated processes going way too fast. Fang simultaneously wanted to puke, and was glad she'd managed to take in so much because at the rate it felt like this was going, she'd burned through the meal and a half already. Excruciating of the broken skin had Fang sweating in seconds. She wanted to die by the end of the minute.

"STOP!" Fang finally cried out, tears forming in her eyes when the lava boiled out of her arm. The fibers didn't immediately stop, and Fang's heart sped even further, dangerously in panic. Had Summer not even heard her? What if she didn't stop? What if it never did? What if this anguish pushed so far that Fang's heart imploded before it could even give her a mercy of passing out? The boiling stirred, sizzled, went straight to her head and— fizzled out.

Fang let out a meek cry of agony from her spot. She curled on her side and Summer let her to keep the fresh blood from dripping out of her arm. She followed Fang there, crawling after her, hand still on Fang's forehead a second before something cool pressed into the gouged divot in her arm. It made Fang cry again. "Fang," Summer seemed to be saying more than once.

"Summ…" Fang whimpered, curled like a little child. The painful and cooling thing pressed into her arm drew back. Fang reached for it meekly, both wanting it back and hating it. Her heart only just started to slow. Fang breathed out in pants.

"Fang, you did well." Summer said, her words starting to register a little more. "That was very good, Fang. Relax." Summer's lips touched the short ends of her hair above her ears and warmth kissed there, taking Fang's mind from her steaming arm. "That was great," Summer told her again. "You lasted more than a minute. You're getting so much better, Fang."

Fang still panted, out of breath. "Is Mom… Mom's— "

"She's not here," Summer eased, reassuring Fang of that, which made Fang breathe just a little easier again.

"Good," That was good. That meant, in these un-soundproofed rooms, she hadn't screamed loud enough for Anya to come running. Fang's mother shared too much pain already; Fang hated having to let her see this as well. Fang's mind fizzled as the pain gradually faded and her racing heart slowed down. "That's… good." She kept her eyes closed. "You said… a minute?"

"Over," Summer told her again, "You lasted over a minute, Fang. I got a lot done. If you continue to hold out that well, we're going to see real healing of this gouge soon. You did so well."

"Are you…" Fang breathed out hard.

"I'm fine, Fang," Summer reassured, brushing back her sweaty hair. "Don't worry about me. It was only our first round. Rest up a little."

"Okay," Fang took that advice. Fresh blood aside, she knew she wouldn't notice a difference if she looked at her arm now, but then she hadn't noticed a difference when they first began either and Summer re-knit her sinews. That muscle and bone fully healed now, carved out flesh was yet left to be regrown. Summer had saved her from amputation, restored use of her arm, and then some. She said they wouldn't even be able to notice anything that'd happened by the end of it. Fang trusted her hand and appreciated her effort beyond a kindness or love. Summer had saved her arm.

"Summer," Fang said when her breath was fully caught and her heart almost back to normal.

"Do you want some water?"

Fang reached up where Summer brushed long fingers through her messy hair and caught them. She squeezed those slender fingers and palm, which were still warm. "You're perfect," Fang blurted because she didn't know how to express her gratitude with words.

"Nobody's perfect, Fang." Summer said in that voice of all-understanding that floated on wings above.

Fang squeezed. "Pretty damn close."

Summer's fingers scrunched in her hair. "Get some rest, Fang. We'll try again in a minute."

"You know," Fang admitted softly. "I deserve this."

"No one deserves torture. Especially not you, Fang."

Fang knew where Summer's tender heart lay when she started to talk of such things, but Fang hadn't really gotten to speak of Lightning. Not in a quieter fashion like this, and certainly not with her father, which stung. "Lightning doesn't have this," Fang reminded, wanting to talk about it to someone. "She doesn't have a family to support her. That's worse than this. She deserves more. What if she's struggling?"

"Did it sound that way on the phone?" Summer asked gently.

"…No," Fang admitted, "But she's good at hiding that kind of thing." Fang rebutted before Summer could say, remembering back. "She was good at hiding it… when I used to hurt her. I didn't even know… how damaging…" she knew now, of course. Summer knew now too. Fang had told her family over a dozen times: Lightning hadn't been at fault. Sky didn't believe it and Dad wouldn't even listen. Fang didn't even know how her best friend truly felt about it, Vanile was so involved with her problem and 'plaguing' Sky with infertility for life. Fang wasn't selfish enough to invest her further in more problems.

That left Anya, Summer, and Serah, who automatically loved her sister no matter what. Anya had a very hard time with it, she was so conflicted, but at least she listened and let Fang talk to Lightning. Summer, even Fang was unsure of. She'd hated Lightning at one time; Fang had thought this would make her hate Lightning even more, but when Fang told both sides of the story, she'd just listened quietly and took it in. Her neutrality on the subject carried, but Fang thought she understood.

"Lightning's strong," Summer said, surprising Fang until she continued. "You told me that, Fang, and she sounds like it."

"I know…" Fang murmured, but her worry didn't go away. Stronger than her or not, no one could carry what she and Fang went through together by themselves. Lightning needed someone too, and they'd already stolen away her beloved sister to boot.

"Jaeger's not ready, Fang." Summer offered softly then. "She needs more time before you bring Lightning back. All of us do, yourself included." Fang craned her head back to look at Summer with open eyes. "Like your wound," Summer compared, giving her a small little smile. "One painful step at a time."

Fang squeezed her fingers again. "I'm ready for another."

"Don't rush it." Summer coaxed. "Take one more minute, Fang. Then we'll start again."

Summer's fingers sadly left hers in preparation for the next time. Fang turned her head back and closed her eyes again to wait for it. Gradually, she would heal of this. And so would Lightning.

**XXX**

Lightning crossed the busy mess hall to sit beside her roommate and tentative acquaintance-friend, Candice. She set her tray down and seated herself for a short lunch. Candice barely cast a glance her way at her arrival. "Lightning."

"Hello, Candice." Lightning started in on her carbs: smashed potatoes and carrots, cooked together in what the soldiers had collectively termed Mash. That, and the slender cut mystery meat that changed by the day filled their three basic food needs for the jobs: carbs, protein, and vegetables. It was a sensible choice, if not a favored one.

Lightning couldn't help thinking of Fang as she reached for the salt for flavor. She was on her mind after that call earlier today. Fang would hate these meals. She'd still been so small when Lightning saw her on that surprise visit last month, Lightning hoped she was eating enough. She couldn't imagine Anya _not _shoveling food into her skinny little daughter, but still. She'd thought Fang might be bigger by then. At least her arm looked better. Not that Lightning could see under the bandage, but the pure fact that Fang still had an arm was encouraging.

"So," her blonde-haired, gray-eyed roommate roused her from her thoughts. "You ever going to tell me what happened with you and that pretty, penis-wielding Yun of yours?"

Lightning wasn't so bothered by her crudeness; that fit a lot of the people here, but she corrected her anyway out of respect to Fang and her culture. "She's called a stud."

"Right." Candice corrected, "Her Studliness. So?"

"So, what?"

"So, are you going to tell me any little detail yet? Or ever?"

Sometimes, Lightning reckoned she'd do better in the mens' barracks. Less prying. "Probably not."

"Oh, come on," Candice sighed at the repeat refusal, "Motherhood is a long way from GC serving. There's not any truth to those rumors, are there? Some people doubt that you were ever pregnant." Lightning lifted her eyes from her meal to give Candice a completely drab and unamused look. "I didn't say I was one of them!" Candice defended. Lightning returned to her food, heart settling back a little bit. "Why don't you like to talk about it at all?"

"It's private."

Candice scoffed, "If you wanted it private, you shouldn't have made yourself a celebrity over it." When Lightning didn't respond, she turned back to her Mash in defeat, but wasn't entirely ready to drop it. "They still write columns about you sometimes, you know."

"You shouldn't read into gossip columns, Candice."

"It might be gossip," Candice allowed, "But there's a point of coincidence and a point of fact. When PSICOM's two, top-ranking officers disappear just after you announce the miscarriage of your baby with Fang…"

"I hardly see how those events are related."

"Yeah, sure," Candice rolled her eyes, "If you won't tell me anything about you two together, at least explain to me how Fang looked when she came her. I mean, one minute, we see her beautiful self abandoning you on television— "

"She didn't abandon me." Lightning interrupted sharply. "She— " at the sight of Candice's overly curious face to the outburst, Lightning corrected in a calmer tone. "She never abandoned me."

Candice quirked an eyebrow. "Is that denial? Or truth?" Lightning returned to her food, done answering questions about it. Candice wasn't. "Knowing you, I'm going to go with truth." Showed how much Candice knew her, anyway. "That still doesn't explain how Fang disappeared for months, and the next time anyone else saw her four months down the road, she's stick-thin and starved-looking with barely any hair and a huge bandage over her Yun tattoo. Aren't they supposed to never purposefully hide that? Like it's some kind of Yun pride or something."

"You read into things too much," Lightning answered, just wanting this conversation to end.

"Or just enough," Candice countered. "If Fang didn't abandon you…"

"Dyke," Lightning glanced up, almost in relief at the timely insult, but her relief was short-lived as wannabe-badass Noel Kreiss leaned over the opposite side of the table with his little hoodlum entourage of two thuggish supporters. "Excuse me, did I say dyke? I meant Light. They just sound so similar."

Lightning didn't give him the grace of a second glance, though Candice wasn't so subtle in her hatred. "Go fuck yourself, Kreiss. Unless you have your precious little boy band do that for you."

Noel's eyes narrowed hatefully in her direction. "Unless I order them to fuck you first. Would you like that, Candice? We can shove a little bit of meat between those tight cheeks you save for Lightning. Let you know how it really is to be fucked."

"Kreiss," Lightning drew his attention before Candice could jump back into a fight. "Talk to her again and you won't have a penis to fuck with." Lightning grabbed Candice' leg under the table and hoped she'd take the hint to be quiet.

"Oh, the girlfriend coming in to save the day," Noel leered, "That's sweet. I rather deal with you anyway. Guess who just got signed on, First Class PSICOM, Light-dyke?"

"You come all this way to pump your penis at me?" Lightning disinterestedly stirred at her food. She'd have preferred not to respond to his taunts at all, but it'd come to fists if left with Candice and His Manliness. The last thing Candice needed was another referral for misbehavior.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Noel continued to taunt. Having a real boy-boner for PSICOM, he'd taken instant, personal offense against Lightning. His promotion to PSICOM would actually be a nice thing because he'd move away for it. "From what I hear, you love to pump my penis, wouldn't you? Transvestites are just your style, aren't they?"

"That why you're offering yourself up?"

Candice snickered. Noel's fists slammed to the table on either side of her tray as he leered in uncomfortably close, invading Lightning's personal bubble times ten. "You think you'll get away with it because you have a pretty bitch-face that you can smile at anyone and have your way. But I know you. I know you've slept your way into the GC and you won't advance for it. You can kiss that Corporal spot goodbye, let alone Sergeant. As PSICOM's scouted, I'll make sure of that."

Lightning was disappointed to hear that. It meant he might not be leaving after all, but Noel was nothing anyone couldn't handle. With more brawn than brains, he wasn't likely to do anything that had effect on her. "Thank you for sharing your plans." Lightning scooted back her chair, "Now, if you'll excuse me— "

Noel reached out and grabbed the front of her shirt. Candice started to stand. Lightning looked down at those hands. "You and the Yun bitch are gonna pay. Threatening PSICOM relationships with the tribes. Was it worth it to suck her peewee penis in your mouth?"

"Your nose is about to break in my Mash in three seconds." Lightning warned, pointed look aimed downward at his hands on her shirt scruff. Others had started to watch and Candice was ready to pounce. As satisfying as it would be, Noel wasn't worth the bruises on her first to punch. They learned control here, and he clearly had none. It was a wonder he hadn't slept with someone to pick up PSICOM's notice.

"It's a wonder a Yun even took note of you."

"Three." Lightning warned.

"Heh," Noel released her and brushed off, "Thank God the plan died. That was probably Fang's interest the whole time, wasn't it? Knock up the Cocoon bitch and get out. Bet she had other girls too. The Yuns love spreading the polygamous seed to all you bitches— "

Lightning grabbed his shoulder with a strong arm. In a second, a loud _CRACK _rang out with a squeal of pain as Noel faceplanted her wooden bowl of Mash with his nose. Lightning gave an extra shove and he practically cried. "Mother fuck!" Lightning held him there and leaned over.

"Next time you insult Fang or the Yuns," Lightning whispered only to him, a hairbreath above him. She reinforced the grip holding him down. "It'll be your balls that I crunch." She released him and stepped back. The two morons with him stood there like they didn't know what to do. "Candice," Lightning reminded to come away with her because Candice was otherwise preoccupied with staring.

"Traitorous bitch!" Noel almost cried after her, face full of blood and Mash with his nose off-crooked and broken. "You'll get what's coming!"

"That was amazing," Candice breathed, catching up to her walking away.

Lightning's jaw clenched too hard to answer, she just continued along silently, wanting the ever-present eyes to stop watching.

**XXX**

Sky watched Fang step into the water. Shy, back turned to them and Jaeger, she was embarrassed about her body and letting it be seen this way. Even from a backside view, Sky could see the bones in her back protruding at angles they shouldn't, angles that showed how undersized and tiny Fang still was. Hawke's strength aside, _anyone _would be able to pick Fang up like a little girl and toss her. Little Vanille could probably carry her. Sky just wanted to take her back home and feed her. Her best friend was a stick and needed it.

"Sky," Vanille called, tearing Sky's attention away. She could afford to take her eyes off Fang because Jaeger was with them this time, and Jaeger wouldn't let Fang out of her sight for an instant. Instead, Sky's eyes found Vanille in the pool of hot springs on her back, floating as she righted herself to talk to Sky instead. "Won't you swim with me?"

"Of course," Sky moved through the shallow waters to Vanille in the middle of the pool. The water only came up to her shoulders in the very middle at its deepest point, but it was enough to bury Vanille's head under. She had to swim, as she was doing now, to keep her head afloat in the large bath. Sky's arms came in under her and Vanille let herself be scooped. Vanille curled in comfortably to her chest and conversed.

"I like it here."

"These springs, or my arms?"

Vanille smiled up at her in that cute little way she had about her that sang of innocence and cutesy things. "Both," Vanille snuggled in her arms a bit, "But I meant the springs when I said it. This place is so nice and warm." Sky only nodded, and Vanille pushed. "Don't you think so?"

"It's quiet," Sky said, not quite agreeing. It was one of Sky's first times out of Paddra, the trip with Fang to Cocoon not included, but Sky was already quite convinced she knew her favorite place already. "I'm kinda glad our rooms aren't soundproof," Sky confided and Vanille seemed surprised, as she would be, because Sky valued their privacy when it came to intimacy.

"It feels a bit more like home to hear everybody else." Sky explained. Not that anybody else had been apt to having sex of late. Strange as that seemed, Sky did miss the comfort level Paddraians had with each other. She liked taking Vanille alone, wasn't ever really a fan of voyeurs watching in on private moments, but here, no one even walked around naked. The Sylk were a private clan, and it seemed the Teff had taken after them in this instance of a town. Lots of people kept to themselves in their crafts and weaving. There just wasn't the whole community Sky had grown up in and loved in Paddra.

"You miss Paddra?" Vanille asked, probably already knowing. Sky had expected to come home in jubilation, mate Vanille in a small ceremony that had plenty of close family and friends, and not her mother if she could help it, and carry on to have lots of kids with Vanille. It's what Yuns did and loved, and Sky was no exception. She had four already; two to a Croft who'd rejected her heart, and two to Summer, who hadn't been ready either untimely time of asking to accept a mate for the rest of her days. Sky couldn't blame either of them too much. She had a tendency to cling and knew of it, but could hardly help it. Sky just wanted a woman to mate and love.

Vanille had been accepting of her, and Sky loved the little redhead with every fiber of her being, but that didn't make recent circumstance any easier to digest. Sky still had a hard time with it. She just felt, if they tried enough, no matter what the Cocoon doctor had said, she could impregnate Vanille. She was fertile, and Vanille must have _some _eggs still. She was way too young not to. If they kept fucking, one of these times, they'd be blessed. Vanille would have a miracle child, followed by others in later date, and she wouldn't have to be so shamefully sad and depressed every time Sky tried to tell her they had to keep trying.

Sky wasn't blind. She hated Cocoon, but could admit some degree of accuracy to their testing methods, but Cocoon wasn't Gran Pulse. They weren't men, they were Yuns, and Sky was damned if she was going to leave Vanille feeling like an infertile failure for the rest of her life. Even Anya had Fang before her horrible accident; Sky was going to give Vanille one too. At least one. That was a promise she'd made to herself.

"I do," Sky admitted to the question. "I miss the sounds, each other, communal feasts every odd day of the week… these people are too reserved. And that's me saying that."

Vanille offered her a sad smile. All her smiles were sad in some way of late. The way those green eyes shone at Sky, anyone could see the pain in her. Sky had to fix it. She had to make Vanille truly smile and mean it again.

"I wish they could forgive us Serah," Vanille said, meaning the Yuns back in their home town. Letting Fang come back had been big enough, but Sky expected that. Her people were a forgiving sort, even if someone went off and did something astronomically stupid, they were willing to take them back if their sorrow was genuine. And Fang's was. But Serah… familial love couldn't stretch as far as to forgive the sister of the woman they all hated so much. Sky could only do so herself because she knew Serah really had nothing to do with it, and she'd known Serah on the occasion before, but to expect that of her clan who didn't know Serah personally and simply knew Lightning in all her treachery, Sky couldn't blame them for not being able to stretch that far. She didn't know that they ever would. Barring some celestially-given miracle, Serah would likely never be welcomed back to Paddra.

But that was a subject for Hawke and Serah, not Sky. Not that Hawke would really mind staying out of Paddra in one of these cities. She was looked upon as strange there too. As the Yun capital and commercial center, opinions about Cocoon were strongest there. They didn't look upon Hawke's fondness for Cocoon girls kindly. Being their capital, Paddra had more studs than other outlaying towns and villages, and so Hawke was subject to more prejudice there than most other places, since Paddra had no shortage of studs, but everywhere else didn't lack that problem, and so were very more accepting of Hawke. Sky wouldn't put it passed her to move into a Croft settlement with Serah when the right time came around. Serah would miss the family she'd made in the rest of them, sure, but she loved Hawke, and they weren't going to stay out of Paddra forever.

Sky cradled her little redhead's hair and brushed through the water with fingers. "We'll see," was all she said, because Vanille knew just as much that Serah wouldn't be welcomed back. She just wanted to drift away for a time. Sky understood immensely.

"Sky," Vanille lifted up a hand to her cheek to cradle and fondle. Sky leaned into the touch for her. "Make love to me?" Vanille asked with wide, pleading eyes. Sky lifted her in her arms at once, but Vanille raised a hand and touched her lips to halt her. "Not sex," Vanille asked, full of trepidation. "I wanna make love."

Sky's heart broke a thousandth time. She cradled Vanille close and lowered her head to let her lips answer Vanille with all her love. For her, Sky would do anything to please.


	3. Chapter 3

Waiting a long moment for Fang to get comfortable, Fang was shoulder-deep before Summer approached the edge of long and deep, circular hotspring to bathe. Jaeger stood overhead with her arms crossed, as if patrolling, though Summer knew she only had her eyes kept on one person.

Fang turned when she thought herself covered enough in the water. She gave Summer a little smile as Summer joined her in the wide bath, very tentative and shy. Summer wasn't sure which affected her more in this newfound shyness, the rape or her shame. Whichever the reason, no one pressed Fang to reveal herself to them anymore. Summer hoped it wasn't ingrained in her head to forever be coy; Fang loved Yun culture, celebrated it and used to walk proudly through Paddra. It'd be more painful than ever to see her ever resorted to this frail girl who shuddered when unexpectedly touched.

Summer didn't know much about rape counseling—no Yun really did. Rape wasn't a problem that happened in Gran Pulse. But she thought Fang seemed to be coming through it alright. She still had nightmares sometimes, still slept with Mom and Dad when the night alone scared her too much. Everyone in the house would be lying if they said they didn't check in on her from time to time. Summer had even run into little Serah watching over her in the room. They all had their fears, but Fang seemed to be coping. It used to be she couldn't enter another room alone without being scared, but her heart still had a long way to go. They'd all struggled through Fang's rehab and the horrifying threat of losing her arm; her body was on the recovery now. Familial love and distance was all they could offer her mind.

As the hot water seeped over her, Summer breathed again and relaxed. Steam mixed with the perspiration that'd built up at her hairline from helping Fang. She didn't say it, but those over-a-minute long sessions with such delicate healing that needed to happen really taxed on her body as well. Summer was exhausted. This was just what her tired body needed right now.

"Summer," a gruff voice called just as she melted into the warm water. Summer looked back to Jaeger, who nodded at the far side to her right. "When you're ready to bathe, there's a small pocket in the rocks over there. We kept the hair stuff and soap there from last time."

"Okay," Summer agreed, knowing Jaeger eventually intended her to get it for Fang too, since Fang wouldn't like going to the shallows and revealing herself. "Are you sure you won't wash with us, Jaeger? It seems a waste to come all this way…"

Jaeger shook her head. "Steam's enough for me," she answered simply, watchful as always. Summer knew she meant well, but she had strong suspicions Fang's shyness was only compounded by Jaeger's full-on daddy mode. The woman rarely smiled anymore, she was so invested in caring for Fang and bringing her back to health. Summer hadn't seen her drink a single lick of alcohol since Fang got back, which was probably good, but also so crushingly damaging on another level. Jaeger drank like a Rivaini sailor on good days, and she cussed just as bad. Anya used to tease her she'd been stolen away from their clan as a child, to which Jaeger would proudly boast otherwise, rip off her pants, and do Anya on the spot. Summer had witnessed it more than once. None of that playful nature had been seen from her of late. It hurt Fang more than a little, Summer wagered, to see her father so serious, untrusting, and dour.

It was just too bad Hawke wasn't here now; perhaps the most lighthearted of them, even with her frustrations of late, she always knew how to lighten a mood with just a line and that goofy smile. Serah was a lucky girl to have her, strange mannerisms or not, Hawke was a catch and brought them all much-needed relief. Even if she wasn't getting much herself.

"This is nice," Fang commented, moving back to the back edge of the small pool where the water was still deep. Heat fissured in small pockets from the walls and warm ground. Fang moved all the way back where there was a small ledge at the back, and sat, reclining against it. Despite controversial opinion on the matter, the scenery change was proving best and most effective for Fang. She needed the quiet in these times and received it here. The small town didn't bustle like Paddra, but it had a charm about it, and Fang seemed content. Summer reckoned she did actually do better here in healing, even if she missed home.

Having traveled out of Paddra after Fang had left for Cocoon, Summer had experienced her share of these places over those six months. Their current home was in fact Kale's, who'd gone back to Paddra for extended stay with her family and friends. She'd been gracious to share her home more than most. Fang was a tentative subject among the Yuns; while she'd been forgiven, her deeds had not gone unnoticed or without consequence. There was the whole scandal of their top leaders leaving in suspect to Fang, which wasn't an ungrounded claim, they just had no proof to tie it.

Female PSICOM members, some warrior group of Cocoon, had been tentatively hoping for some leeway into Yun dealings with the hiring of Fang. It wouldn't have happened anyway, but Cocoon had a hostile way about themselves when they thought they'd been wronged. After Fang, they'd tried to close into Paddra to learn more and negotiate themselves in. Yuns didn't take kindly to outsiders butting in, especially knowing how ignorant they all were. They didn't even know about the rape from their lead commander!

And the way they'd responded...! It grilled Summer to her bones. When PSICOM had marched into _their _lands, demanding answers concerning Fang's reappearance in Paddra, the Yuns, including herself, had been pissed enough. Worse on the 'order' to extradite Fang for questioning, and when the Yuns demanded their own answers back for the CO raping Fang, they'd gone quiet and whispered among themselves, having not even known.

First, they had the balls to accuse of lying, but when 'cover up' was overheard from PSICOM and they backed down on demands with a monetary offer of compensation, all hell broke loose. Four PSICOM ended up dead, something Lightning told them they'd affectionately termed the 'PSICOM massacre' in the papers, and everybody else went home with minimal scrapes, a couple not-life-threatening bullets taken on the side of the Yuns. No one had been charged for the crime. They'd tried to negotiate something by letter with money a single week afterwards, which had been ripped up and burned by their leader in charge, Jael, as had the following letters that'd been sent one month after accordingly. Relations had been broiling since.

In any case, Summer hadn't been home very long for a long, long time. She missed it there with her people, her family, and her dad… dad who hated the prospect of her being out here as a major part of Fang's recovery from it all. Summer shook her head of it and crossed deeper into the pool. "Do you mind if I join you?" Summer asked, wanting very much to sit on that ledge and sink into the water as well.

"Go ahead," Fang offered gallantly, scooting aside to make more room where there was plenty. Summer didn't try to get close to her or anything that would scare Fang. She just wanted to sink into warm waters and soak. The water hot to her bare body, Summer trekked to the other side where it came just up to her shoulders as well. Fang wisely kept her injured arm above the water level and resting on the back stone behind her. Washed out, plugged up, and wrapped in the bandage again, she complained of it stinging whenever water entered her open wound, which didn't surprise Summer at all, considering how thin the layers of skin were that covered Fang's raw muscle. They still had a lot of skin to grow; it would all take time, was all.

"Let me know when you want to wash your hair with the suds," Summer asked of her, knowing how Fang struggled with the task when she didn't like letting her arm get wet. "I'll help."

"Thanks," Fang murmured without objection, which was a good enough sign of any. "Summer?"

"Mmm?" Summer asked, eyes closing as the blissful warmth wrapped over her like the warmest blanket of Yun flesh to her body.

"Is there…" Fang paused, trying to phrase it. "I mean, do you… you know… "

Summer opened her eyes to peer Fang's way with furrowed brows. "Something wrong, Fang?"

"Do you want something?" Fang finally managed, then quickly followed up. "I mean, I feel like we need to give you something. You've been so sweet to me and the family all this time. Saved my arm." She looked at the limp limb on the stone. Fang struggled so hard not to stress it. "Found us a house, continuing to care for me for months and months more when you could be in Paddra. You've been here since the worst of rehab and your dad probably even hates that you're here helping me…" Fang listed off, seeming more fidgety at the end. "You've saved my life here, and you're not even my immediate family."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"I would." Fang countered, drawing Summer's cautious eye. Fang cleared her throat. "I just… I feel like I owe you so much."

"You don't owe me anything, Fang." Summer told her, heart aching for Fang, who felt like she didn't deserve it. That was the problem with Fang; she hadn't much felt worthy before this whole venture, now she felt even less. There was selflessness, but Fang was way too hard on herself, her self-opinion was so low. "Any Yun would've helped you."

"Not with Serah and Lightning on board," Fang seemed to get even more anxious yet. "I mean, you're making a lot of bad associations for me… even the Yuns didn't want to do that."

Fang shifted in the water, clearly going shyer yet. "Fang, what is it?" Summer asked gently.

"You… you've been so nice," Fang stumbled to get there. "Summer, I… I can't promise you that… that I'll be there to, you know…" she swallowed a gulp. "Be there… with you at the end," Fang grew extremely twitchy as Summer's heart opened up for Fang again. "Summer, I— "

"That's not why I'm here, Fang." Summer cut off before Fang could stumble more. Fang's eyes billowed at the statement.

"It's not?"

And Summer's soft heart for her squeezed a little more. "Fang, no." Summer shook her head, "I care about you, of course, but I'd never expect you to be with me when this is done. I know I wanted that once when you had Lightning, but after everything you've gone through, I'd be cruel to want that of you in exchange for helping."

Fang's big eyes turned sorrowful and apologetic at once. "I'm sorry," she claimed, stumbling all over herself again. "I didn't mean— I don't think you expect that of me, I just… you've been helping so much and," Fang cringed. "I'm an ass. I'm so sorry, Summer. I didn't mean to question your intentions— "

"Fang," Summer interrupted softly again. She moved a little closer to the other woman on the rocky ledge, and Fang didn't back up. "It's okay, alright? Don't be so hard on yourself." Summer lifted an arm out of the water so Fang could clearly see it and rest it on the stone ledge behind them, inches from Fang's. Fang glanced at the hand nervously, but she still didn't back up, which Summer took as a good enough sign that she started to slowly reach out to touch Fang's hand. "I care about you," Summer told her gently, "You've been through hell, and I just want to help you come out of it again in the way I can. That's all."

"I'm sorry," Fang peeped again, eyes downcasting. Summer touched her fingers, which had Fang stiffen a little before she eased again.

"Don't be," Summer coached and pleaded both. "You're a wonderful woman, Fang. All I want is for you to realize it again. Okay?"

Fang's eyes were slow to lift and met hers only tentatively again, that coyness so present in everything Fang now was. "Okay," she agreed quietly. Summer stroked back to her hand once, then let Fang be so she could calm down again.

An injured Yun of her clan, Fang would remain a priority until Summer could help her no more. That was the way of her people; Fang needed help, and she would get it from the clan. Summer would make sure of that.

**XXX**

Serah leaned over her dresser studiously, going through all of her options. Dia, Yun, Aku, Brell, Zyk, Croft, Rivaini, Teff, and Sylk: all of these were potentials and more; Serah was stuck in a position she had been deciding for months. While Croft seemed the most likely choice for their shared interest in history that she loved, the last thing Serah wanted to do was rush to a decision in haste and pass up other options. For example, the Dia clan were farm people who worked the land. Even small gardeners could be considered if they shared the principals and ways of the Dia. Or the Brell, who invented and tinkered and were known for studying and practicing magic—all of which Serah found exciting and interesting lore.

The dominant occupations of the clans weren't the only things to consider either. Each had their own rules, beliefs, methods, and dress styles. Down to the meaning of a braid in her hair or the way Serah carried herself in dress around town, dozens of things. Any number of tiny practices and beliefs of a sect or that clan. Serah wanted to consider it all and come out with the best judgment when she chose. It was like picking a religion, this choice was so important. Serah wouldn't make haste to that unknown, no matter how promising one might look over the other. She could love the occupation of Croft most, but follow Yun traditions more—any number of possibilities that awaited her from these clans. She just had to take it one step at a time.

Hmm. Serah jotted under her Croft heading idly, _believe in sex after marriage, more traditional-like lifestyles. _Under that, she noted. _Small. Clan is struggling to keep afloat as well as some others._

Some of the clans didn't even welcome converts. Right off the bat, Yuns and Zyk were off limits. Dias might actually be too. Vanille had told her she'd have to ask the clan leader of whichever tribe she chose, and that generally, as a whole, Dias followed in step faithfully after the Yuns. The Rivaini clan didn't open their arms often at all, and despite allowing some new methods for forging and crafting, Teff were pretty reserved about Cocoon converts as well. Brell seemed the most open-minded and accepting of it, in fact, even to the point of opening their arms to male visitors. Serah probably had a good chance of getting in with the Crofts too because they were running so thin a crowd. Considering her background with Lightning, which was well known across Gran Pulse by now, even without the communications Cocoon had, those slim options were probably cut even more.

Right now, Serah's best chances seemed with the Brell, but she didn't want to choose solely based on her best chance either. She knew her options were slim, but it didn't hurt to ask if she decided upon one of these other clans either.

_Faithful people, _Serah marked down under the Dias section. Serah knew some Gran Pulse faith from her classes, but that one was a bit far out to her. She didn't discount it though. Faith in a people generally meant they had a good heart or intentions, and if Vanille was anything to go by, Dias were high on her list to ask, even if their acceptance was one of the most unlikely of them all.

The door behind Serah opened, making her look back with hope. "Hawke?" And then, Serah's woman strode in, beautiful, brazen, and cheerful as ever she was. "Hawke!" Serah jumped from her chair at once.

At five foot seven, she stood at Lightning's height. A little shorter than Fang, but very normal for a Yun. Serah didn't mind it at all. With her fluffy black hair and a tattooed red bloodsmear over her nose, she was the most beautiful blue-eyed Yun Serah had ever seen. Serah rocketed to Hawke's arms and wrapped her own around the Yun she'd been increasingly calling her own to herself.

Hawke was perfect in every sense in Serah's head. She was beautiful with the best of jaws and the prettiest little nose. She had a bit of a tomboyish look about her, only complimented by her body which was femininely very muscled and strong. Her breasts weren't too big either, which Serah liked in a girl. That spoke nothing of her studliest member though, which Serah had peeped and felt more than once. And those eyes, ohh. Those vibrant blue eyes could melt Serah's heart in a second. She'd only known her less than half a year of months, but Serah was undoubtedly head over heels in love. And she thought very much that she could say the same of Hawke.

This mighty Yun, her warrior and closest friend throughout the whole incident surrounding Lightning, Hawke had been a font of strength for Serah through it all. And when Lightning had given up her hold on Serah to go to Gran Pulse with her, Hawke had given up just as much for her love. This sexually-promiscuous Yun—almost all Yuns were very sexually active with the culture they held—but this one had given that up for Serah. Temporarily. To get Serah comfortable enough first. It might not have sounded like much but courtesy to her Cocoon friends, but barring a Yun from sex and groping was like trying to subdue a wyvern in the sky with nothing but a string of yarn. Serah loved her Yun dearly for giving her good time and considerate thought.

Serah came from a traditional background. Like the Crofts, she believed the sacred act of sex should be had after marriage, but her belief differed greatly from the Yuns, who shared lots of sex before courting and even had multiple babies with each other first. They were two different cultures and clashed, but Hawke had been so sweet about following her ways for now. Serah really was falling; so much so, and she respected and loved Hawke so dearly, Serah had started to consider letting the grip on her own beliefs go.

Hawke had been loyal in all the tender kisses they shared, but Serah knew how hard it was for her, both figuratively and literal, to keep from claiming her as she wanted to. She'd been so sweet, she even watched how much she groped. All these things considered, Hawke had practically been angelic to her. Serah doubted if Hawke would really feel comfortable to court her before they even shared some playfulness. Because of this, Serah had been thinking and considering her options. She knew what Hawke wanted and her Yun had already proven loyal, but Serah didn't know if she was ready for sex yet or not. The whole thing just made her so nervous. Hawke had been with so many girls. What if, when they took that step, Hawke decided she was too virginal and didn't like her anymore? Serah knew the Yuns were good people, but compared to all of them and all the Cocoon girls Hawke already had, she really was frightened Hawke wouldn't find her suitable anymore.

That's how Yuns did it too. Before they courted, they had sex with each other and other girls any number of times or women. It was a big part of figuring out who fit them best. Serah and Hawke's personalities meshed; she'd gotten along with Hawke as her girlfriend for so long now, but with such a heavy importance on the sexual side, if Serah didn't measure up…

Serah had debated it with herself for a long while now. She'd finally come up with something she thought might be okay for both of them too, but she didn't know how to tell Hawke she had the go-ahead without going all the way. The whole thing just made her nervous so bad. Serah had been in situations with Hawke before when they'd both been caught up in the moment—they almost even had sex! More than once! And it was on her mind constantly. If she gave Hawke the okay for playing around with other things like heavy, heavy petting, fingering, and maybe even oral… Serah wasn't sure she could trust _her _judgment to stop. And Hawke would never purposefully pressure her, but when they went that far, both of them could be so caught up. It could easily just happen. Serah wasn't there yet. She was even nervous about pushing forward this far.

So, she hadn't told her. Not yet. Serah wanted the right moment; she just got so nervous when she thought about sharing this idea, it always made her back down…

"I missed you," Serah confessed, clinging to Hawke around her fit waist, which was so warm with Serah closed within her strong arms.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Hawke apologized sweetly, "We got a special order in the afternoon that asked for a quick timeline. Wanted to start it today and get through as much as I could so we could check into the metalwork tomorrow."

"That's okay," Serah forgave easily. "I'm just glad you're home now."

"What about you? What've you been doing all day?" Hawke asked, checking over Serah's shoulder to the desk where she'd been sitting. Serah glanced back with her. "Checklisting the clans again?"

"I still haven't decided," Serah admitted, the choice being so huge.

Hawke shook her head. "You're such a Croft. They even do the whole study-something-even-when-they-know-the-answer thing that you do."

Serah blushed faintly. "I just want to be sure."

"I know," Hawke kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to go shower now, I'm still all sweaty from work."

Serah's heart pattered quickly. She could do it now! She _should _do it now. Poor Hawke was all stuck waiting for her in this vicious cycle, all she had to do was say she'd join her in the shower now. Just that! "Hawke," Serah gasped like a fish, then crumbled when those vibrant eyes turned on her. Doing her best to salvage her courage for it, Serah lifted on tip toes to reach Hawke's mouth and kiss her. Hawke's initial startle died quickly. She kissed Serah back and tasted so good and right on her lips, right enough to spur Serah's fervor. She touched Hawke's cheek in her passion and opened her lips to allow Hawke into her mouth. Hawke took the invitation and cupped her around the back of the head and her ass. Serah's stomach tickled so bad, she loved the feel of Hawke in her so much. In her mouth! Ohh…

"Gods, Serah," Hawke moaned and pushed Serah into her body with the hand on her ass. Serah could feel the tight, raised bulge through her jeans like a waiting, hungry shark to devour her. Her kissing was feverous, Hawke held her in such passion. Hawke's fingers around her butt tightened as her second hand dipped from her head. It dipped all the way to the hem of her shirt, then Serah felt hot fingers on her back. She inhaled breathily, heart fluttering as her nerves took up the distance in fear, realizing with such an exactness just how hard Hawke pressed into her and how much she wanted her deeper in her throat that a tongue could go. Serah's anxieties took up pace, determining she was way too warm for this. At this rate, Hawke would be in her by the night's end and her one chance to impress would be over. If Hawke didn't like it…

"Hawke," Serah murmured as Hawke lavished her mouth. Her fingers tightened into Hawke's arm and shoulder where her hand had dropped. Hawke wasn't stopping. What if she didn't stop? What if Serah didn't stop her? What if they went all the way and Serah ruined herself for someone she wasn't going to be with in the end of it all? She couldn't fix a deflowering. She'd be forever claimed and not with her and— "Hawke!" Serah panicked, and her girlfriend stopped.

Hawke pulled away from her mouth with a long sigh, eyes turning down as her hands left Serah's body and she stepped back so her hardness wasn't touching her anymore. She breathed in a couple of times. "I'm sorry."

But she hadn't done anything wrong! Serah felt instantly guilt-compounded for letting her stupid and ridiculous fears get in the way. "No, it's— "

"I'm going to shower, Serah." Hawke reported, sounding depressed with sad eyes.

"Hawke," Serah tried to call back, heart racing with guilt and sadness multiplying itself. She reached for Hawke's hand. "I didn't mean… you didn't do anything wrong. _I'm _sorry." Hawke tried to smile at her, but it was weak and forced.

"You're not ready. It's okay," Hawke sounded incredibly depressed. "I'm just gonna wash up, Serah. Then we can go to bed."

Serah wanted to hold her there somehow, but she'd already ruined her shot. "Did you eat?" Serah blurted the first thing that came to stall her.

"I had something small."

"I'll make you more," Serah said quickly, having failed in her earlier moment where it mattered most. She'd at least take care of her Yun where she still could. "I'm going to make you something to eat," Serah promised in a mini-babble. Hawke gave her that sad smile. Serah knew what she really wanted.

"That sounds good."

Serah wanted to throw herself at Hawke in hug and apology, but that'd only make it worse now. She watched her girlfriend turn away on three legs and hated herself for letting her go. Only when Hawke disappeared behind the closed door could Serah move again.

By the end of this week… Serah made a small promise in her head. Her girlfriend needed sparing once and for all.


	4. Chapter 4

The last week of Wyvern bled away into Smilodon, and Hawke greeted the new month with a new set of goals for Fang.

"Come on, Fang!" Hawke encouraged her little protégée. Her legs stretched taut as she lunged alongside Fang. "This is the easy stuff! We haven't even gotten to your arms yet today."

"Easy?" Fang panted, straining to keep up to Hawke. On her tip toes like Hawke, more of a noticeable sweat had built at her brow so far. "I have no muscle mass whatsoever, and we've been doing this for five minutes!"

"Clearly, something's in there." Hawke reached out a hand to pat her cute little straining rump. Fang very nearly toppled. "Don't give up now," Hawke warned, proud of her when Fang got back on her toes. "We only have three more minutes of this."

"Three?" Fang looked ready to cry.

"We're building back up those powerful legs!" Hawke encouraged, "Just be glad that arm's still too injured to deadlift. I'd be buying those light little Cocoon weights for you to use so you could lift like a little girl again."

"Shut up," Fang grunted, dripping with effort. Teasing aside, Hawke was really quite proud. While many of these exercises had been new to her when Serah told her of them, they were perfect for Fang to grow back into herself. The poor thing was like a kid again body-wise and since Hawke couldn't spar with her or do any number of regular Yun exercises because of that arm, they'd resorted to some of these unusual measures instead.

"Still doing okay?" Hawke checked in, making sure her little girl wasn't about to faint on her like she sometimes did. Fang just grunted in response, getting beyond words at this point on tired legs ready to give. Hawke really didn't feel the workout as much, maybe a little in her calves and gluteus for the added tippy-toing, but she reckoned the pain was intense for Fang. Still a little stick of a thing, her muscles had a long way to go before she felt like herself again. Still, this was important for Fang. Every little bit would develop her muscles again, and while's Fang's arm remained tender as it was, they were the only workouts they could afford to do right now, even if Fang would rather be swinging a spear around. Trust her on that, Hawke understood.

Fang made a whimpery noise then on their sixth lap since speaking. She was almost at the new goal time they'd set, but Hawke could see Fang was failing. A tick of a second later, Hawke pre-empted the incoming fall and raised her arms under Fang's as her friend collapsed from her toes under such intense pressure that they'd been working her for. "Whoa," Hawke cautioned, catching her easily as Fang squirmed. "It's okay, Fang," Hawke reassured, bringing Fang to the ground with her against her body. "We're only six seconds short! You did really good. We're getting better at that."

Fang slumped half over, leaning back against Hawke for support as she breathed. Hawke unstrung the water skin from around her body and held it above Fang's head to drizzle some cool relief. She held it in front of Fang next, who took it gratefully with her good arm. "Thanks," Fang huffed exhaustedly, taking the bottle and downed a good bit.

"We'll cut back thirty seconds next time," Hawke promised because it wasn't good to workout to the point of exhaustion. But Fang had really done well so far today. Of course, they still had arms to do, which was worse for the pain, but… "Maybe we'll have lunch before we start with the pull ups," Hawke suggested, "Get you energized back up a bit first."

Fang guzzled the water, but finally pulled the water skin back at her words. "No, I wanna keep going."

"Are you sure? We can easily start after lunch again."

"I wanna get through it," Fang said, never particularly enjoying the arm workouts they did. She didn't particularly enjoy the leg ones either, but arms were worse. All the ways Cocoon people worked out were just so boring and dull. No running with the wolves, hunting wild behemoths, facing off with your friends— no wonder so many of them were fat. "Just gimme a minute."

Hawke lifted a hand where she was too tired to and brushed back the wet part of Fang's hair that had fallen a little over her face. "Well, we know you're improving. And once Summer gets the rest of your arm patched up? I'm going to swing you outta this little town for besting me in those tournaments."

Fang smiled a little, which was good to see of her. "You'll pick on the crippled kid."

"Of course I would. Do you know how many times you've smacked me from the hanging bars at tourney time? Or, or that time Jael disarmed you and you smacked her upside the head with her own spear? Jaeger loved that."

Fang smiled faintly, remembering. "Dad always had a problem with her."

"That's one way to put it," Hawke chuckled, "What'd she call her?"

"A womb-stealing turd," Fang filled in, more comfortable now as her pains started to fade. Hawke grinned. Fang didn't exact revert back to sad, but that wistfulness sounded close. "I won't be able to join next year."

"You never know," Hawke chided, "Orca's still a month away. Summer'll probably have your arm fixed up by then. You've got sixty days of this till then."

"I'd be so bad at it," Fang countered, "Cocoon-weak next to all the clan."

"You won't win," Hawke allowed, "But we never win anyway. It'll just be for fun."

"Fun to embarrass myself, only making it to first round? I'd even lose to Ivy."

"Lightning lost to Ivy," Hawke reminded of their long-ago fight the first time Lightning had been to Gran Pulse when Ivy had challenged Lightning to a _Skarr _over Fang. "And she fought very well." Fang sighed in resting back against Hawke. The topic of Lightning usually made her a bit happier, but a bit wistful too. Hawke knew she just liked to talk about her sometimes.

"That was something, huh?" Fang posed, awfully wistful. "She took on that fight, and she didn't even have Yun training."

"It was brave," Hawke agreed. "Her little pink head out there, bobbing up and down for you." Hawke closed her eyes with a soft sigh, imagining a different little pink head of her own that she wished would bob for her.

"She was so good with the sword."

"Mmm…" Hawke barely answered, perfectly able to picture Serah being good with her sword. Picturing was all she had of late, Hawke's phantom girlfriend in the shower had gotten _very _good at touching. Even as a virgin, her curiosity and willingness to learn was overwhelming. Hawke loved that curiosity in her so much! With her small little hands and body crawling all over her, tight to hers, Hawke yearned for it to be real, if Serah could just let her—

"Hey!" Fang's body jerked suddenly as she squirmed. "Are you getting hard back there?" Fang tried to wiggle away, but at the small body slipping from her again, Hawke squeezed her in hug.

"Don't go," She asked, begged and hugged Fang, "Please?"

"Hawke!" Fang squirmed.

"You're so small and cute like her," Hawke begged, pleading. "Can I touch your breasts? Just for a minute?"

"Touch your own breasts!" Fang barked and Hawke despaired.

"It's not the saaame. Faaang…"

"Look, Serah!"

"Serah?" Hawke's eyes popped open as her grip loosened in fright. What treachery would her girlfriend tease her with now? But when Hawke glanced around the area they were using as a secluded workout space, no one else was there but Fang, who'd squirmed out of her arms and glared back with an angry frown. Hawke slumped. "I'm never going to get any again."

"Don't take it out on me," Fang complained, fixing her rumpled shirt indignantly. "I'll call Summer over here in a second."

"More girls," Hawke despaired, flattening to the ground but for one persistent bulge that defied gravity. She stared at the blue sky in utter defeat. "Just end it. Or touch me. Either way, I can't take this pain anymore. Every night, Fang! Ugh." She closed her eyes and willed death to take her. She could practically hear Fang making a face.

"I want a new workout buddy."

Hawke lay there a moment, phantom fingers of her imaginary sex-curious girlfriend just not cutting it anymore. She heard Fang rustling in the grass, just another girl anxious to get away from her. After a few more moments, Fang asked. "Are you just going to lie there?"

"Are you going to start feeling me up?"

"Fat chance."

Hawke frowned miserably and sat up. "Then we should finish with working out your arms."

Fang gave her a wary eye. "You're not going to grab me again, are you?"

"Get up on that pole," Hawke ordered, not making promises. Fang went over to her spear, which was wedged between two rocky edges to use for a pull up bar. She stood below it and looked up. Wincing, she lifted her arms for the pole as Hawke came in behind her to catch if Fang fell.

"Don't look at my butt."

Hawke had a face-full view from where she stood. "It doesn't make it any easier on me that you're so little and cute."

"It's not cute!" Fang vied in frustration.

"Prove it. Let's see how many you can manage today." As Fang's _very _strained groans and gasping started up the moment she first pulled her body up with both arms, injured one included, Hawke sighed as her tiny little butt bobbed up and down with her lifts. No breaks were in store for Hawke. She despaired.

**XXX**

Anya greeted her beloved daughter fresh from the shower after a hard workout with Hawke. "Fang, Sweetie," she called, hearing Fang coming from around the stairs into the living room.

"Is that pie?" Fang rounded the bend from the connected living-dining room area to Anya's fresh kitchen of good smells.

"Apple boysenberry," Anya nodded, ushering Fang in. "I was making meat pies for lunch and had extra dough, so I rolled out a dessert. You can have some after lunch." Anya took in the sight of her undersized daughter with a heavy heart. Fang was eating _much _better than when they'd been weaning her off the drugs, but with her naturally fast, Yun metabolism and the sessions she took with Summer, even a healthy appetite made it hard to put weight on her. It'd get better when her arm fully healed and her body's natural energy processes didn't have to be accelerated for that, but even if just for a few months, the sight of her little girl unhealthily tiny broke a mother's heart.

"Sit down, Fang. I'll take out your pie."

Fang obeyed, but made a face as Anya sorted through the large, open oven for her pie. "You put flan in it?"

"The flan's for Vanille," Anya corrected. "It'll keep gelled nicely until she and Sky get back." Fang's mouth twisted in distaste as Anya used the large flatboard to pull out her pie. "Just be glad she's not here to share it with you," Anya warned, "You know how Vanille trusts in the nutrition of flan."

"Ughh," Fang shuddered. "She's addicted to that junk."

With cloth gloves, Anya carried the hot sides of the pie tin over to Fang and laid it before her. "What about to drink?" Anya asked caringly. "Will you have some milk if it doesn't fill you up?"

"I'm okay, Mom."

"Now, don't be silly," Anya excused. "You need something to wash it down. You'll take more in that way anyway. Just water then?" Anya stopped at the sink to grab a cup and fill Fang a glass. "Hawke told me about how you worked out so hard today. She said you practiced yoga for hours. Oh!" It occurred to Anya. "What about fruit? You always like a fruit with your meat pies."

"There's fruit in the dessert," Fang reminded from the table. It'd completely slipped Anya's mind. "Oh, that's right." Anya brought over her water to see Fang cutting into the pie to cool it. "Well… would you like a vegetable, Fang? I can melt brown sugar butter over cooked carrots like you like— "

"Mom," Fang reached out a hand over her arm, which instantly warmed at the spot. Fang's earnest eyes looked up her mother with such emotion in her gorgeous eyes. "Please sit down," Fang asked, gently urging her to the chair catty-corner her with the hand. Anya didn't feel right doing so if her baby wasn't fully sated or could take in more, but because Fang asked, she couldn't deny her child either. Fang might need emotional support or to talk to her or –something.

Anya collapsed to the seat and reached out her hand over Fang's extended arm. "Are you okay, Fang? How are you feeling?"

"Mom," Fang gently chided, "I'm catered to hand and foot like I've been my whole life living at home. I'm good, Mom, really. I'm more concerned about you." Anya's soft heart fluttered for her daughter in maternal caring and love.

"You don't need to worry about me, Fang."

"Yeah, I do." Fang corrected, hand dropping down Anya's arm to her hand, which she squeezed reassuringly like the kind and warm-hearted daughter she was. "It isn't just me that's been struggling. Don't deny it, Mom, I know it's hard."

"It's an effort on all of us," Anya admitted softly, but added so Fang didn't think she considered it a burden at all. Anya was just glad to have her baby home again where Fang belonged. "But you're getting better, Fang. That's enough to keep me going."

"What about Dad?" Fang posed and pointed out, quieter. "She hasn't drank at all since I've gotten back."

"Far be it for us to be concerned when your father _stops _drinking, Fang." She meant it lightly, but she could see the seriousness in Fang's eyes. Both of them knew Jaeger, and alcohol just went to her name. She'd only ever gone without when trying to set an example for Fang, or back in the most serious days after Anya's accident. It was one of the only other times Anya had witnessed her with such a serious demeanor; that, and Fang's previous incident with Vanille...

"You haven't had sex since," Fang added in a quieter voice, trembling Anya's heart for her. She didn't want Fang to worry about these things or stress out. They'd work out in time when Fang started getting better and better again.

"Don't worry about our sex life, Fang." Anya told her earnestly, rubbing over Fang's fingers with her thumb. It was natural that Fang would be concerned; in this soundproof-less house, she could hear every night they went to bed quietly, and that just wasn't normal for Yuns, but with things how they were and Fang's recovery taking up their minds, neither Jaeger or Anya had pushed for the physical act since. It would look very worrisome to Fang—a lot of Yuns relied heavily on intimacy in times of crisis. But knowing how Fang had been used and even raped, it had temporarily sapped the recovering of intimacy from their relation. For now. "We're going to be okay," Anya assured her sweet daughter. "All of us. It just takes time."

"I wanna see you happy again, Mom," Fang unexpectedly said, still squeezing her hand warmly. Anya's heart ached.

"I am happy, Fang," Anya insisted gently, "Having you here with us makes me happy and content. The rest," Anya cupped her warm hand in both of hers. Fang wasn't stupid; she knew as well as any of them how they were struggling through things. "We'll work on as you get better. Your father will come out of her lapse. She just feels protective over you."

Fang gave her a sad smile of understanding Anya wished she didn't have getting better. "Eat with me, Mom," Fang asked gently, so soft of spirit. "You need something too."

**XXX**

Sky caught dinner while Vanille picked some plants and fruits to supplement the meal for them. She skinned Sky's kills and prepared the meat for cooking as Sky built them a fire. While she cooked dinner, Sky pitched the tent and laid down the flooring to keep the little bugs out. She unrolled a lavish bear pelt for them to lay on that night for more comfort. Vanille pulled out the small, wool blanket she'd packed and put it aside in the tent to be used for later when it got cold. Sky's hands came in around her from behind as she finished flavoring the meat with salt, but not too much because Sky didn't like it as much as Fang. Fang liked salt like a world of her own.

"Van," Sky echoed from above her, warm hands wrapped around her arms down as she balanced the plate. "You know there's nothing wrong with you, don't you?" Vanille bit her lip to keep the tears at the corner of her eyes from splashing down. It felt like they'd been there all night.

"I know what the doctor said," Sky continued softly, voice like a sensual whisper on the wind. "And I know you think I'm being bullheaded," Sky added in a way that trembled Vanille's soft heart. "But I know I can get you pregnant, Vanille. It might not be this month, or even this year, but I'm going to do it, Vanille. A low egg count doesn't mean it's impossible."

Vanille's heart ached. Sky had such a hard time accepting this— it might not _be _possible for her. "What if you can't?" Vanille echoed softly, struggling not to cry with the words.

"I don't love you any less," Sky said, and it frightened her. "And I won't, even if we can't procreate. But I know I can give you a baby, Van. I know it."

Sky talked big, and Vanille knew she meant every word of it. Her heart was there, branded for Vanille to take it, but Vanille couldn't help being more realistic about the situation. She'd heard the doctor's words, pregnancy was impossible… even carrying out to this Gran Pulse herbalist was more an act for Sky than of any believe that there'd be something to help them. Vanille couldn't stop branding herself barren, and while she did that, she inflicted it onto Sky as well, which was the last shame on earth Vanille wanted her great Yun to be known for. Sky was still so young; they'd fallen in love so young over so short a time compared to normal Yun standards. Vanille loved her with all her heart, and that's why she didn't want to see this befall Sky.

Sky wouldn't leave her. She was too good for that. Vanille had been tossing something around in her head for the last month. Now was probably the best time to share it, before they got news from the herbalist that might make Sky more hopeful again. "Sky…" Vanille swallowed. She knew her lover and how she'd take this, but she had to try. For Sky's sake, she couldn't let her love go barren over her.

"Vanille?" Sky stroked her arm, loving and caring her so much. It was a common enough practice, but it stung Vanille to say it. Every relationship she'd been in had been of faithful, monogamous love. Common or not, it still hurt to think it.

"Have you ever thought…" Vanille started quietly and licked her lips to ease the passage of the words that were soon to follow. "Of…" Vanille choked on the words in her throat. "Taking another mate?"

Sky went rigid. Vanille swallowed again. "I don't mean instead of me." She further clarified if Sky needed it. "I mean, in addition… so you can still procreate freely… without waiting for miracle children from me." When Sky didn't say anything, Vanille's nerves ramped up. She started to babble a little. "I mean, you've fallen in love before me, you know. There's probably another girl out there you could fall in love with just as much. And she can bear your children, unlike me, and— "

"Vanille," Sky interrupted her rambling without a sense of malice, but sternly. Vanille silenced at once. "That's never going to happen."

Vanille's heart quivered, both in pain and love for her faithful Yun. "But Sky— "

"Shh," Sky hushed. Vanille felt her fingers at the side of her cheek, reaching back to brush strands of her red hair from her face that had fallen. "We're not going to talk about it because it's not an option." Sky's fingers touched under her chin and gently led her to look her way where cobalt eyes looked into her heart. "You're my one and only, Vanille."

Conflicting emotions of love and pain crushed Vanille as Sky's lips touched her own. She kissed her love back and meant it. She was both happy and eternally saddened; there _was _no solution to this, and because of it, Vanille would be responsible for sterilizing a Yun.

As Vanille warmed her Yun on the bear pelt that late that night, with Sky sleeping soundly behind her, a gentle tear caressed the bridge of her nose and fell. Vanille could barely stand it.

**XXX**

Serah listened to the sink run as Hawke finished up brushing her teeth and other nightly chores before bed. The bathroom door between two bedrooms opened. A sleepy Hawke re-entered the bedroom. She looked to Serah with tired eyes, gave the genuine attempt of a smile, and crossed over to the dresser to put something down. She opened and drawer and started shuffling through it. Serah couldn't imagine what for. "Hawke?"

"Hmm?" Hawke asked, shuffling through clothes.

"What are you doing?"

Hawke paused in her rummaging and thought a second, as if even she didn't know. "Looking for something."

"You want to come to bed?" Serah asked, heart trembling frailly. It wasn't the first time she'd wandered to do something that felt a lot like stalling. "We can cuddle." Hawke paused, but didn't turn around. Serah swallowed a gulp. "Or not… if you don't feel like it, I suppose." Hawke went back to rummaging the clothes Serah had neatly folded, though there was nothing in them she couldn't have seen the first time.

"I'm tired," Hawke responded after what felt like a long time, which was probably only a moment. "Maybe not tonight, Serah. I want to rest… without the boner," she added, which stung Serah as cold. Her Hawke had been like this since it happened. She was slipping away, and now Serah didn't even know how to offer herself and more. What could she say when Hawke distanced away like this?

"Hawke," Serah spoke with a frail voice, feeling small and unsure. She and Hawke had come a ways from flirting to friends and back again to commitment, but Hawke hadn't distanced herself like this before. Not even when they went back to friends. The uncertainty scared her. "Can we talk?"

"What about?" Hawke asked frankly, not making this any easier for her. But if this was about what Serah feared it was –her inability to take that next step forward with her, then it was her fault and she deserved to be made to say it. Even if it hurt that Hawke was making her spell it out. Serah sat up in the bed to address her.

"We haven't… cuddled," Serah struggled for the word and failed. They hadn't done so much more since her back down. "Since last week. Since… I flaked out on you."

"Flaked?"

Serah's heart dropped. "You know what I mean." When Hawke didn't respond to that, Serah added more quietly. "I'm sorry for that. For… backing out on you again. I should've stepped forward for you."

Hawke breathed out in what sounded like frustration. "There's nothing to be sorry about." She took her hand out and shut the drawer, perhaps harsher than she meant to because it made a loud cracking noise. Hawke seemed to ignore it. "You're not ready to be intimate. It's fine. I just rather not have the constant boner of teasing in the meantime, if that's okay with you."

Serah's heart skipped more beat than one. Hawke looked back over her shoulder after she said it, looking regretful already. "I'm sorry." She apologized and looked away. "It's just frustrating, Serah. Yuns don't hide from sex or save it. It's a celebrated thing between couples."

"I know that," Serah claimed, just happy to receive a response that was more like Hawke, "And you've been so sweet waiting this long for me. I know that. You've been amazing. Hawke, I… I want to take the next step with you."

When she turned her head at the statement, she didn't look happy like Serah had thought or hoped. Instead she said, "No, you don't."

Serah's heart skipped around in confusion and fright. She stuttered. "H-Hawke, I do! What do you mean I don't? I've been thinking of it and— "

"No, Serah, you haven't." Hawke shook her head. "We get to a certain point and stop. You're afraid to move forward with me, and I'm not going to let you give yourself up now to try to save us. For whatever reason, I get that your chastity's important to you. Being with your first is a big step, even for Yuns to a lesser degree, but I know you're not ready for me."

"Hawke— " Serah tried to speak, heart fluttering faster, but Hawke held up a hand.

"Don't." she shook her head again and Serah felt like it was dooming. "I'm not going to take you to salvage us, Serah. The signs you've been giving me, I know you're not ready. I'm sorry if I've been mean this last week, but I'm afraid I might've over-estimated myself."

"Hawke?" Serah asked, mind blanking as her eyes filled with unshed tears. She struggled to hold them back. "What are you saying?"

"I signed up for the long haul when we started dating," Hawke re-affirmed, "And you're a sweet girlfriend, Serah. You really are. This is my own failing, or maybe our cultures' fault. Maybe Cocoon and Gran Pulse really aren't supposed to be together. Whatever it is, even with how much I like you, Serah… I don't know that I can keep waiting like this."

The world seemed to get a little darker around her. Serah's throat completely blocked up at once. "Are you…" she choked and the rest only came as a whisper, but Hawke's Yun hearing picked it up just fine. "Are you breaking up with me?"

"I think we need a break," Hawke put out there, rocking her whole frame at once. Serah felt dizzy. But Hawke kept talking. "Whether that leads to a break up or not… we've both got things to think about. I'm not trying to force you to anything. But I'm not as… strong as I thought I could be for you. I can't court and mate you first, Serah. I just can't. I can't wait for endless months either. So… we both have some figuring to do." Hawke still hadn't looked at her since first saying it. "I think a break is right for us."

No, no, no, no, no! Serah's throat and tightened absolutely closed in disbelief. She almost saw doubles of Hawke, her vision had started to swim so bad. Heart racing, tears welled, she stared at Hawke in utter disbelief, unable to even cry out as she wanted. She had the whole thing wrong! Serah _had _been thinking about moving forward with Hawke, she had for a month now! But Hawke thought— she didn't know! Serah tried to say it and only weakly managed, "Hawke," to spill.

Hawke stood from the dresser and crossed over to the bedside. "I'm sorry," Hawke said earnestly and leaned down to kiss her head. She cradled Serah to her body for a full minute. Serah could hear her heart pounding loud and strong. When Hawke finally pulled away after way too short a time, Serah felt like she was breaking in half. It occurred to her that might've been her last moment in Hawke's arms. It wasn't enough. "Do you need something?" Hawke asked, seeming aware of her catatonia. Serah could barely move in her overwhelmed state of horror.

When she didn't answer Hawke because she couldn't, Hawke rubbed her shoulder like she hadn't all week. "I'm going to send up some hot chocolate," Hawke said, naming her favorite comfort drink she'd learned over her missing Lightning. "I'll be on the couch tonight. We can talk if you want, but… a little time's probably best for us both. Okay, Serah?"

Hawke tried to be reassuring, but Serah was not eased. How could Serah okay the crushing of her heart and soul? Hawke stayed but a moment more to try to comfort with a few more words. When Serah remained unresponsive, on the brink of tears and breakdown, Hawke leaned down one more time with a last apology and a kiss to her head. And then she was gone.

Gone.

Serah burst at the seams, broke down, and cried.


	5. Chapter 5

Serah clutched her pillow and closed her eyes tight, curling in her spot on the bed like she could make Hawke pop into existence again. Red streaks stained her cheeks from tears far from over in crying. Serah squeezed her pillow and willed herself to come together. No matter how hard she tried, the tears wouldn't stop. Not with the constant reminder of how she had screwed things up!

Hawke couldn't take it anymore. Serah had pushed her patience too far. Now, the very thing she was afraid of happening _from _sex was— for exactly the lack of it! Hawke had had enough and wanted to break up with her. Serah's heart ached so sore. She should've known not to push this far. She should've stood up to Hawke a month ago and told her to take her in love. Now, everything fell apart. How in the world would she convince Hawke she'd been ready for this is she couldn't even bring herself to make it happen? Serah twitched on the bed. She couldn't let them fall apart over this—not with Hawke thinking she'd failed her for struggling along without her love. Not when Serah had been keeping it from her in fright.

She had to pull herself together over this.

Serah let out another long, shaky breath. She continued to breathe in such a fashion until her racing heart calmed. She closed her eyes and tried to temper the hailstorm of emotion bringing her near to tears in her head. The first thing she had to do was clear her head about all this. Maybe she should start writing to Claire. That always calmed her down.

_Knock, knock, knock. _Serah's head lifted in an instant with incurable hope in her eyes. "Hawke?"

"It's Summer." Serah couldn't help her heart from dropping in disappointment. She sniffed and wiped under her eye in a vain attempt to cover the streaks.

"Come in," Serah called politely.

Summer opened the door partway and came in with a half-bowed head. "Serah,"

Serah's eyes roved shyly to the ground. She'd been living with the beautiful woman for months now and she'd watched her children on more than one occasion, but Serah couldn't say very much about her direct relationship with Summer. It was all just a little bit awkward from the whole ordeal with her sister. Serah knew she and Summer had come to some form of privately-reached truce or some sort, but there'd been a time not very long ago when the two women had hated each other. As friendly and warm as Summer was now, Serah hadn't much initiated the opportunity to grow closer to the woman like she had the rest of Fang's family while here. It felt like a small loyalty to Claire to keep it that way.

"Hey," Serah greeted shyly, a little awkward. Not only was Summer a standing beauty among women, she was also close to ten years older than Serah. "I guess you heard me crying, huh?"

"You weren't loud," Summer offered in solace.

"You heard me," Serah pointed out, shifting. It was hard to live with supersonic people sometimes, people who could hear or literally smell when something was wrong.

"A mother is more sensitive to the sound of pain."

Serah gave half an effort at a miserable smile, still not looking up, and offered. "You can come in if you want." She heard the door shut softly behind Summer and couldn't help but feel a little intimidated, alone with an amazon who could turn her inside out in a second. Not that she would, but… Claire had disliked her for good reason, Serah remembered. It was kind of easy to when someone so stunning stalked straight into the house and kissed Fang passionately right in front of her girlfriend. Not that she and Fang had been real girlfriends at that point—but Summer hadn't known that. Some, Serah could chalk up to Yun culture, but that had been pretty spiteful.

"I guess you heard the argument too," Serah said softly, more than a little embarrassed by it. Every Yun in the household probably knew already.

"I try not to listen in on conversations not meant for me." Summer offered with an apologetic look. "I've taken to humming." Serah glanced up at her. She wasn't sure if the woman was being serious or kind to pretend she didn't know, but Summer seemed earnest. "You want to talk about it?"

"I don't know what to say," Serah admitted, especially not to her. Talking to anyone else would've been easier about this, but Summer had been the first one kind enough to offer, so… "Hawke wants to take a break from us," Serah told frankly. "It's my fault. I've been ready to…" God, this felt awkward. Summer came over and sat beside Serah on the bed as she struggled through that awkwardness. "You know… move on in our relationship."

"Have sex?" Summer easily posed, probably to make her feel more comfortable. And it did, sort of. Serah was really getting more used to blunt Yun conversation about it.

"Not sex," Serah tried to clarify, but felt that message came out all wrong. "I mean, not wholly. I wanted to tell her we could… play around… a little more. And get to sex eventually, I mean. But I wanted to try other things with her first… to sortof prepare me for it, you know."

"But you didn't," Summer assumed correctly.

"I got scared," Serah countered, almost defensively. "I kept thinking: what if I got too into it. What if I let her go too far, and if I did, what if she thinks I'm horrible at sex and doesn't want to be with me anymore. Then I'd be—I'd be deflowered and alone."

"Deflowered," Summer actually chuckled. Serah looked at her incredulously. "I'm sorry," Summer apologized, sobering. "The Cocoon notion that sex would… 'deflower' you," she chuckled again.

Serah balked, red-checked. "Stop laughing!" Summer did and glanced at her, but she was still smiling in such a way, Serah actually started to smile herself. "Stop it!" she chastised, biting back the growing grin. "It's not funny."

"Not at all," Summer agreed with _that _smile and a lightness to her tone. It just made it all that harder to keep from it herself. Eventually, Serah gave up biting it back, but looked away from Summer with her own, guilty, but moody grin. "You're horrible. You're supposed to be listening to me." When she looked the gorgeous woman's way again, Summer's eyes were shining with the same warmth. "No wonder my sister hated you," Serah _hmph_ed with moody intent, unable to really stop how her heart felt a bit lighter after the laugh.

"Should I take that as a compliment?"

Serah gave her stubborn eyes, resistant to the floaty uplift Summer inspired. "Cocoon girls would hate you for being so confident."

"What an odd thing to hate me for. Is confidence not an attractive trait in Cocoon?"

"For opposite sexes, maybe," Serah granted, "But for two girls… that's more like fuel for jealousy for us. Girls don't like other girls who are beautiful—especially if they know it."

"_If_ they know it?" Summer questioned, "How would a girl not know it if she were lovely?"

Serah grinned. "That's easy to say in a world where every girl is beautiful."

Summer shook her head, "I'm afraid we're venturing off into topics I do not know. Your world and its dynamics, jealousy, doxy girls who don't see straight in a mirror…"

Serah smiled again because she couldn't help it. "Gran Pulse doesn't deal with any of that, does it?"

"Doxy girls? Not that I know of." Summer nodded, "But we sometimes have jealousy, just the same as Cocoon."

"Well… probably not _just_ the same." Serah cautioned.

"No?" Summer asked, "I do think we frown on it a little more, but I'm by no means a Cocoon expert."

"Probably not a jealousy one either." Serah said, which earned her a smile. Summer was so confident and… cocky, but it wasn't really bothering Serah like it might've on a beautiful girl back home. Maybe it was the Gran Pulse culture as a whole, but it just seemed to easily fit her. Like Serah would be more bothered if she wasn't that knowing. The switch was quite a strange little turn.

"I'll tell you a secret," Summer told her, which raised Serah's brows in immense interest, despite herself and her seemingly-fading vow to keep from being friendly with this woman.

"What?"

"You can't tell anyone," Summer encouraged, engaging her so much to know this.

"I won't," Serah promised.

"Not even your sister," Summer added, startling Serah, but she was much too involved to give up the information.

"If it's not dangerous," Serah promised again, which made Summer chuckle. Then, in a soft voice, probably very aware of the ears in this place, Summer whispered to her ear softly.

"I was jealous of your sister, Serah."

Serah's jaw dropped. She blurted without meaning to. "No, you weren't!" Summer laughed.

"It's true."

"But…" Serah hit upon an answer. "Is that why you were such a bitch to her?" She realized her words after she said them and sucked in a breath, but Summer was chuckling, not mad like she might've been.

"She had Fang," Summer offered her in explanation, "And Fang loved her so. There's a bit to be envious there."

Serah wanted to tell Claire. But Summer had tricked her into a promise not to. "I really can't say anything?"

Summer's eyes twinkled with that light that caught them sometimes in her joy, making the golden specks shine. "I might've had a bit of a possessive nature over her, but that wasn't the primary reason I wanted Fang away from her."

Serah gave her an eye. "Uh-huh."

"Believe what you will," Summer chuckled, "You're sworn to secrecy with me over it, I'm not worried."

"So," Serah wondered, "Saying I believe that wasn't the primary reason—which I don't. Why were you so against Claire being with Fang?"

"Fang loved her." Summer gave her sad, knowing eyes. "Lightning didn't. At the time."

"You believe she did after?" Serah asked, curious now to Summer's opinion of the matter.

"It takes an extremely brave or stupid woman to admit her faults to a family of Yuns," Summer told her boldly. "And stupidity is not one of Lightning's faults."

Serah had never heard Summer compliment her sister like that. It had a strange feel to it after having witnessed a few catfights between the two. "You have a good sister, Serah." Summer told her, reaching out a hand to rub her back comfortingly, which didn't feel as weird as it would've, had this conversation just started. "And that, you can tell her I said. It wouldn't hurt to warm her a little more to me." Summer said it lightheartedly, but Serah couldn't help feeling there was something a little deeper there. Why would Summer need Lightning to be warm to her at all? Lightning was stuck in Cocoon, and visits didn't seem likely in any kind of near future.

"Enough about that, though," Summer closed off the topic. "We're supposed to be discussing your problems with Hawke here, aren't we? You shouldn't really worry about being bad at the sex, Serah. It's like riding a wyvern—you get it after a few scrapes and falls."

Serah's eyes widened. "Riding a wyvern?"

"Oh, afraid of heights?" Summer asked, "That kind of makes the comparison more perfect, though. You seem awfully scared of the sexual aspects themselves. Maybe it's like that at first, but you learn to enjoy it pretty quickly. And not everyone is disinclined to virgins, you know. I actually kind of like it when my partners are cute and squirm." Even for all her growing-Yun-comfort, Serah's face went brick red at that. "Too sharing?" Summer asked when she saw it.

"Serah?" Anya's voice came from the door. Summer gave Serah a knowing smile.

"What'd I tell you about moms?"

"You can come in," Serah called back to her. All of the Yuns were super polite to her with asking; they didn't usually have to do so for the rest of the family or others. When Anya entered, she came in with a hot cup. Serah smelled hot coco as she came near.

"Hawke's sent it up with me and her regards," Anya told, handing it over as Serah motioned for her to sit on her other side.

"See?" Summer chided gently. "She still cares about you, Serah. Hawke's merely experiencing a bout of weakness for sex. We all get it sometimes."

"A weakness I caused," Serah sighed, saddened, and looked to Anya, "Do you know about it too, then?"

"Hawke didn't say much," Anya reached a hand to her side gently. "But I understand the gist. Some of these things, we just can't force, Serah."

"But I'm not forcing it," Serah insisted with a heavy sigh. "I'm really ready for it. I have been. I've just been… shy to tell her about it."

"Being ready isn't just in the words, Serah." Anya coaxed softly, wise, and rubbed her back. "She has to see it for herself too." Which Serah had failed at when she'd had the chance. She slumped with her little cup of perfectly flavored hot chocolate with just the right hint of a mint flavor from the tiny mint leaf.

Anya gave her a small smile and tried to relate it for Serah. "I remember when Fang was younger, when she still had her chastity about her as a little thing."

Serah's eyebrows went up. She'd heard concerning things about this before. "Please don't tell me she was twelve."

Anya chuckled. "Twelve is the age sex and pregnancy is first possible, Serah. But we don't usually start those habits till later.

"Around fourteen." Summer told. Serah's eyebrows went right back up. Summer chuckled, but Anya shook her head with a small smile, crystal green eyes glimmering so cleanly.

"She's just kidding with you, Serah." Serah wasn't so sure who to believe. "Our curiosity may begin around that age," Anya looked over Serah's head with those soft eyes, "But very few of us start that young."

Serah looked at Summer too and blurted, "You're one of them? Fourteen?"

"Fifteen," Summer chuckled at her surprise. Serah supposed she shouldn't really have it concerning Summer, but… fifteen! She was nineteen and still hadn't done it! It seemed so very young to her. Any Cocoon girl who'd been broken at that age would've been termed and labeled as easy and cheap by her world's standards, let alone if the poor girl had become pregnant at such an age. They didn't even use birth control on this planet! The whole thing just seemed so big and scary a prospect to Serah's brain, even as she'd been in Gran Pulse for four months now and understood the rules. Adopting them was another matter altogether.

"It's okay, Serah," Summer cautioned, probably seeing the disbelief on her face. "I think it's brave that you consider matehood around your age."

Serah's cheeks reddened a little. "Well, we don't live as long in Cocoon, you know."

"No?" Summer asked, "Some of our tribes are like that. They only last around 120 years. The Brells have an exceptionally diminishing lifespan, but most of them are climbing with Yun mating and the bloodline. I suppose I can see that making you want to rush. Why, what's Cocoon lifespan? I saw some pretty elderly when we went to Cocoon."

"Um," Serah cleared her throat because it was almost embarrassing next to these fit, beautiful Yun women who were superior in almost every facet. "Seventy to eighty years is common."

"Seventy— " Summer made an effort at holding back her shock, it looked like, but it wasn't a successful one. "Oh… Oh, Serah." Serah understood her shock. It was less than half the life expectancy of Yuns if they lived out to their full potential, which wasn't common either, but seventy years… a Yun could still birth then. It was natural Summer would find this shocking and alarming as hell. "That's not from… occupational deaths?"

Serah shook her head.

"You're almost in your prime," Summer realized. "We have to get you back with Hawke."

"You're almost in your prime," Summer realized. "We have to get you back with Hawke. Why would anyone wait in such a position with that lifespan of getting old? Is that why you all marry so young? To have sex?" Serah's cheeks pinked with her understandable conclusions, then Summer made her cheeks infinitely warmer by startlingly coming to ask. "Was Lightning a virgin before Fang too?"

The supposition wasn't farfetched based on what she knew, and though Serah suspected otherwise, the most embarrassing fact was she didn't even know for sure. "It's not like that across all Cocoon!" Serah tried to put in, "People with my beliefs about marriage and sex, I mean," Serah told, horribly blushy about it. "That's supposed to be the traditional method, but many people cheat it too…"

Serah couldn't tell the exact expression, whether it was relief or… what. "So, she wasn't?"

Serah rubbed at the back of her neck, so rosy. "I don't know…" Summer's face remained hard to read at best, but when glanced over at Anya again, her curious interest replaced in politeness and priorities.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Anya— you were saying about Fang before my tangent there? I'm sorry to abstract us so far, Serah. Curiosity got the best of me."

Serah batted an eye, but if she had any suspicions, they faded with Anya. "It's okay, Summer." Anya easily forgave, "The differences between our people is quite interesting and substantial."

"We should get back to Hawke, though," Summer gently led back. "What were you saying about Fang, Anya?"

"Well, if Serah wants to hear it…" Anya looked to her in asking.

"I do," Serah readily agreed, wanting to know. They tended to get off topic sometimes, but Serah didn't so much mind with these women. She already felt better and would probably be able to speak of Hawke with a clearer mind than what she had.

Anya smiled gently. "Fang was a bit of a romantic when her curiosity about sex came along. She didn't want to do anyone until she'd found the perfect girl," Serah's heart lightened a bit. 'See!' she wanted to cry. The only problem was, Serah had already found the perfect woman. She'd just been holding sex back from her girl. "Lucky for us," Anya added, "She already knew and loved Vanille as her closest friend. They weren't… what do you call it in Cocoon, dating?" Serah nodded, "They weren't 'dating,'" Anya used, "But Fang hesitated to sleep with her the first time too. Held it back a little. She was afraid of how it'd change their relationship to each other."

"That's like me!" Serah related and couldn't contain her surprise at it. "Isn't that… unusual though?" Serah asked, "Here, I mean."

"A little bit," Anya confessed with a nod, "We do respect and have that attachment to the first person we make love to. I still remember mine, and I'm sure Summer does." Serah glanced at Summer too, who nodded. "Fang took on a bit of Jaeger's romantic notions more than most, but when she finally came around to deciding to share it with Vanille—and we worried for a time she wouldn't. Fang really concerned us there. But when she did, Serah, it didn't ruin their relationship at all. Fang and Vanille became greater friends for both sharing their firsts together."

She gave it a second's pause, "Now, I know it's not precisely the same as your situation. Hawke has been with many, and you've been brought up differently than us. I don't mean to pressure you either, Serah. Please don't think that."

"I don't," Serah put in, wanting to hear the rest of it as well. Anya gave her another of those warming smiles that helped her along.

"The way I'm hearing it," Anya went on, "Is that you're more afraid of the consequences of having sex with Hawke than the action itself. You're afraid of it taking away your chastity and downward-sloping your relationship with Hawke. Is that right?"

"Our relationship's already taking a downward slope because I haven't," Serah bummed out, which had been wholly her fault. "But that sounds about right. I really want to share that with Hawke—I do! But if something goes wrong… " Serah lowered her head to the cup, cowardly. "What if she doesn't like how I am in bed? I'll just make her feel even worse to break up with me. I know sex is a big thing and very common for Yuns… I know it's important. And she's been so sweet already to me in trying to wait, I hate to lose that. I just… I always start thinking of the what ifs ruining us. It's almost like it's better to break up not knowing she'd dislike me for that, you know…"

"Is that really how you want it to end?" Anya gently pushed. "In a breakup out of safety to keep the chance of a broken heart away?"

"Not really," Serah looked at her cup and tilted it, a bit distraught. She was being a coward and she knew it.

"Our relationships put ourselves out there," Anya told wisely, "Whom we come to care about and love, every one of them is taking a chance, and coupling is even harder for all the new and frightening aspects you may come across. But if none of us are willing to take those chances, we'd never move along. Broken hearts are part of the danger that comes with finding our loves. Even here, heartache happens. Do you know how scared I was to learn the baby I held belonged to Jaeger, who had it in her mind to court me when I was only seventeen? I was petrified of her."

"What did you do about it?" Serah asked, able to relate to Anya's fear, even if her circumstance was different.

Anya soothed her with a small rub. "The baby was hers too. I was scared, but it wasn't my right to keep Fang from her. I went to Jaeger and told her I was pregnant. She wanted to be involved, of course. She was ecstatic, and I'd been more or less forced to let her help. Only in the beginning, it was that way."

"You fell in love?" Serah asked, liking these kind of stories.

"Madly," Anya shared with that gleam in her eyes. "And it was mad. Jaeger and I were both so young and grew so committed, neither of us wanted anyone else, I grew to love her so much. You'd never seen a sweeter Yun after that day I told her. By the look in her eyes alone when she heard about Fang…"

"Awww," Serah's little heart went _squish_ at the story. That kind of falling so early was so unusual for Yuns, it just warmed her like a blanket. "I bet she kept wooing you throughout the whole pregnancy, didn't she, Mom? That's so sw— " Serah's breath caught at the slip. She abruptly looked up with apologetic eyes and struggled to correct the words. "A— Anya. L-Lady Anya," Serah dropped her eyes and head to the cup neurotically to stare at it in trembling hands. "I'm sorry, I— I didn't mean to…"

"Serah," Anya softly chided. In another second, Serah felt a hand touch her leg and her heart sped quickly with it in nervous fright, though she really had nothing to fear from Anya. The mother was always softspoken and kind, even if Serah had just made a terrible, tabooish mistake in calling her that. "I'm not going to hold a slip against you, child." Serah peeped at her from the side of her eyes to see Anya looking a little saddened by it.

"I'm still sorry," Serah offered meekly.

Anya offered another smile straight ahead, not really at her, but Serah could easily see the sad edges to this one. "I think of how different it'd be… if you and Lightning had stayed in Gran Pulse."

Serah hadn't known that, but now she ached for reminding Anya. She kept her eyes down because she couldn't really will herself otherwise. "You do?"

"Sometimes," Anya confessed. "If you had both stayed… before it got so bad. Jaeger would've been able to forgive the pregnancy lie. It still would've taken her time, but she wouldn't have grown to hate Lightning so much… you might've been our daughter-by-matehood already if Fang had her way with it."

She almost sounded like she wanted that in preference. Serah knew she'd forgiven Lightning's involuntary role in Fang's demise, but she didn't know she'd cared this much for her sister. Serah's only relation seemed like a tolerated attachment more than anything, but this… "You sound like you miss Claire a little," Serah bit her lip in case she'd misspoken again.

"I do, a little," Anya confessed with a little huffy-laugh that sounded like a tiny sigh. "I suppose that's strange, but… she could've made Fang happy if events hadn't turned on them. She'd have made me happy to mother her too. Both of you. Everybody needs a mother. I'd have been happy to in other circumstance. For both of you." Serah felt her hair being brushed back behind her ear and finally looked up again because Anya wasn't being scary like she could've for the slip. Anya was already looking at her in a motherly, heartwarming fashion that made Serah's equally ache for being unable to fulfill her wistful thoughts. "It's hard not to see the Yun in you sometimes."

Serah coughed at that to hide the snort because she just couldn't help that one. "Claire, maybe. Here I am afraid of sex; not very Yun of me. And Hell will bend over before I can pick up a weapon and use it."

Anya smiled softly and brushed back into her hair. "Not all Yun strength comes from wielding our weapons, Serah." Anya looked a little over her shoulder and smiled, "But it looks like our conversation's scared Summer away."

"Huh?" Serah glanced that way and had to double-take. The soft spot on the bed beside her was completely empty. "When did she go?!" Serah hadn't heard a thing! Damn, sneaky Yuns.

"I think she was giving us a little privacy about Lightning," Anya nodded, "We can keep talking about Hawke if you need to, Serah."

"That's okay," Serah felt much better already, even if concepts came in abstract relating and much of the conversation had skipped over Hawke, it'd helped a lot to talk to somebody with her problems. She didn't feel so much like drowning anymore. "I know I've gotta prove it to her. I don't want to let Hawke go over this either."

"I'm glad to hear it, Serah," Anya said, standing. "Come on; we'll get your coco refilled. Hawke's gone out for a bit."

Okay," Serah stood too and followed, much happier in the support she had from this family.


	6. Chapter 6

On the far side of the small, port town, Hawke threw a rock across the water. It skipped four times, then slapped against a Rivaini hull and sunk. Hawke sighed, having not meant to damage that either. She was just screwing up everything today. In her heart, Hawke had reached a new low and it depressed the hell out of her. She'd said she didn't want to give Serah an ultimatum— and she didn't—but that was exactly what she was doing. Now, even if Serah told her she wanted sex, she couldn't bloody take her because Hawke had forced her into the spot in the first place. She should've just kept her miserable mouth shut, dammit. Hawke threw another rock which additionally hit the Rivaini hull. Dammit!

She heard the footsteps, but ignored them, too preoccupied with her failures to give it notice until the footsteps pulled up right behind her and stopped. Hawke wanted to throw something else, but the Rivaini ship hull had probably taken enough. "I didn't know it was that bad, Hawke."

"Would you have slept with me if you knew it was?" Hawke asked bitterly, not glancing back.

"Hawke…" Fang stepped up beside her. "Mind if we sit?"

Hawke glanced back at 'we,' half afraid she'd see Serah there, but it was only Jaeger with Fang, which made more sense because she constantly played watchdog over Fang. Jaeger must've sent Anya up with the coco instead—or more probable yet, Anya had taken it herself and told Jaeger to watch Fang. Jaeger always went rigid when she thought her daughter was up to something. "If you want," Hawke's moody eyes returned to the sea before her. Fang and Jaeger both sat, one on each side of her.

"Didn't expect to find ya on the docks," Jaeger commented, setting down. "Thought you'd be hunting off the frustration."

"I didn't have my sword."

"That's never stopped you before."

Hawke sighed and leaned back on her arms. "It wasn't that kind of fight."

Fang glanced at her from her side with a strained expression. "I would've talked to you before if I knew it was this bad."

"Not your fault," Hawke stared out across the waters. "I was never as strong as you in combat; makes sense that I wouldn't be with a woman either."

Jaeger's brows furrowed and darkened. "Since when is keeping chaste for your woman a _strength_? You're getting weird ass ideas about relationships and sex too now, Hawke. This is why Cocoon girls aren't supposed to be with Yuns—bringing all their goddamn ideas and lies into our world— "

"Dad," Fang interrupted, glancing across Hawke to her father. "Lecture me later, okay? Please?"

"She might be right," Hawke admitted softly, even troubled with how much she agreed. Jaeger understandably hated the idea of mixing their cultures now. She had nothing personal against Serah and didn't hold a grudge there, not a significant one anyway, but against Cocoon, Jaeger could rant for days. And Hawke agreed with her this time.

"Serah's an amazing girl," Hawke stated, "She's so sweet. Folds my clothes I usually throw into the drawer, makes me food, visits me at work to keep me company… " there were so many good things about Serah, it'd be a trouble to even list them. She was, in almost all senses, the perfect girlfriend. Except in this… "But sometimes, you just want to come home and claim the girl sharing your bed, you know?"

"Nothin' wrong with that," Jaeger snorted, then shushed again with a look from Fang.

Hawke continued on anyway, "We've been so static in moving forward. Every time we get close to real intimacy, she breaks it off. I don't know if she's afraid of the sex or of me or… what it is. It's a giant tease. I can't sleep without dreaming of her, can't rub off without thinking that way. Shit, every time I look at my penis, I wanna fuck. I haven't slept in the nude for two months now! It's driving me crazy."

Hawke glanced over at Fang, feeling sullen. "I'm starting to think it's better if we don't continue. Serah's nowhere near ready to have sex with me, and I'm nearly coming every time I catch a slip of her naked in the bathroom mirror… " Hawke sighed and lowered her eyes to her lap. "I don't want to; I like Serah, she makes a great Flame," Hawke referenced the approximate Cocoon equivalent of 'girlfriend' -as close as it came, anyway, without all the sex or other girl-sharing flirting flames usually had, "But I haven't felt like a Yun in months. You know… taking my girl at the pub, bringing her along on hunts to satisfy after a successful kill or trapping, or ravishing her in front of other Yuns so they know I've claimed her… we haven't done any of that, and even when we reach sex, I'm not sure Serah will even want to. She's been so skittish about lone intimacy… even if I held out long enough for her to be comfortable with sex, she may never want that."

"Exactly," Jaeger pointed out. "No one has the right to steal those pleasures from a Yun. Not if they don't want them taken. This is exactly why the Crofts are dying out."

Hawke sighed again, long and deep with her head still down to look at her legs. "Serah's virginity is important to her. Maybe it's better to give up now than to take that from her, and find out three years down the road that quiet sex is all she's ever going to want with me. Maybe we're just too different when it comes to sex…"

"Hawke," Fang's hand made it to the back of her shoulder to soothe. "I can't speak on behalf of Serah, but have you told her about this? About worrying on these future things?"

"How can I?" Hawke breathed out in a rush, "She's afraid to even go far into second base with me." At Fang's blink, Hawke added. "It's a Cocoon sport metaphor – it means we don't even get far with touching one another before she's hands off and backing away from me."

"Well, that's hard…" Fang admitted.

"How did you do it?" Hawke asked, knowing how long Fang had gone without while watching Lightning. "How did you last six months watching Lightning and not doing anything about it?"

"Seven," Fang corrected and added, "But they were Cocoon months. So only three and a half of ours."

"Were you depressed the whole time?"

"I don't know, a little bit," Fang offered, "But mine was just coming off from Vanille, so… a little different."

"Sorry," Hawke apologized then at the reminder, "Didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"It's okay," Fang forgave without too much trouble. "I'm not gonna break every time it's mentioned."

Hawke gave her a haphazard, apologetic glance. "Any other advice on what I should do?"

"I think you're doing what's right already, kid," Jaeger added her two cents, drawing their eyes. "I don't got anything against Serah, she's a lovely girl, but it ain't right for a girl to steal the good nature outta a Yun. There's nothin' fair about that either."

"And I think you should let Serah tell you that," Fang countered the claim. "If you're going to break up with her because your worlds are too far apart, that's fair, but she should be the one to tell you it won't happen or that it's not likely to. Breaking up with her on the assumption that she won't come around in some ways or compromise is an asshole's move."

"You callin' me an asshole?" Jaeger barked. Fang ignored her for the moment.

"You gotta give her the chance to tell you she wants to break up before she has sex with you, if that's what she really wants. I doubt it is. But that's her choice too— and the possibility of other things…" Fang's eyes followed out to sea where hers had been. "I never thought Light would go for public sex with me, then she threw me down to the bar and had her way with me…"

Hawke grimaced as the accompany image immediately turned to Serah and her. A very frustrating and familiar pressure built up in her pants. "Stop giving me stiffies."

Fang glanced to the side of her where Hawke now bulged in her pants. "You try to touch me again, and I'll have Dad throw you into the sea."

"Like I'm gonna defend you!" Jaeger protested, petulant. "'Asshole.'"

"When did you become such a girl about boners?" Hawke grumbled. "Don't be a Sky-twit. You were all over me that night in Paddra! I remember you saddling atop my lap. Woulda did me if Lightning hadn't come when she had."

"I was drunk!" Fang protested.

"And that changes your preferences?"

"Yes!" Fang shook her head then, "I mean, no! It just confuses me."

"I could go for a drink," Jaeger grumbled.

Hawke gave Fang a pout.

"I'm still not touching you."

Hawke turned from Fang to Jaeger, who gave her a rude glare, "What the hell you looking at me for? Control your bodily functions, dammit!" Hawke slouched in continued depression. Though she didn't move close to where Hawke wanted her to, Fang rubbed her back a bit as she started to stand.

"Come on, Hawke. Let's head home."

**XXX**

"Vanille…" Kitty looked at her with eyes full of sympathy and mutual pain. Vanille already knew what she'd say from the look on her face alone. It was the same look she'd been getting from everybody, that half-pitying, half-sympathetic understanding and inwardly happy relief that it wasn't then. Vanille was so sick of that face; everybody gave it to her without fail, even Sky, for all her misbelief and assuring Vanille, wore that look sometimes when she found Vanille sad or upset. It was Sky's silent admittance-without-admitting, where she chose to instead believe that she could fix it after so much fucking. That she could fix Vanille. Vanille knew so much better and she was tired of it. "—I'm sorry," Kitty was in the midst of saying, re-describing her ovulation problem where Vanille had the eggs of a 90 year old Yun just starting menopause. "I could give you some herbs, but I can't in good faith say they'll help any. This is a natural body function and flaw, we don't really know why it happens. It just…"

Sky squeezed her around the shoulders and kissed her head. She whispered. "We're going to be the one in a million, Van. Hell, I'm going to make you three in the million. I don't care what she says. I'm going to get you pregnant."

Tears wet Vanille's eyes. She'd had months to deal with her inadequacy and she'd been trying, but every time Sky countered her broken state with these reassurances, it hurt. Hurt worse than even knowing she was broken. Sky wasn't dealing with her problem; she lived in a bubble where it'd all be okay, and it just wouldn't. Vanille knew it and she didn't. It was killing her inside.

"We'll take the herbs," Sky told Kitty, who felt too incredibly bad for her loss to deny their efficiency in her case again.

"I'm very sorry," Kitty apologized again, burning her brain.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Sky excused, hard facts completely passing over her head like they usually did concerning this. "You've given us the herbs and that's all we came here for, thank you." She wasn't even getting mad over it anymore. Sky lived in a perfect world and Vanille's brokenness didn't exist there. She could barely stand it. Would it kill her to admit something was wrong? They hadn't just gotten the one opinion on it! Now, even Gran Pulse told her no. Vanille's slight shoulders started to shake in hurt and anger as the tears built up in her eyes. They'd never get through it like this.

"I'm going to get you home now, baby." Sky promised with another kiss, "Gonna make you round with child. I promise."

"JUST STOP IT!" Vanille blurted, trembling so bad with tears in her eyes, she managed to slip out from under Sky's arm. "Both of you!" Vanille cried, sharing glares to each of them, but with a heavy concentration that lingered on Sky. "We're not going to have children! I'm BROKEN, okay? I'm broken!"

"Vanille— "

"I don't want to hear it!" Vanille overran with a louder voice, "No amount of your assurances or love for me is going to make this better, Sky! Our chances are nonexistent! I'm never going to have your baby, no matter how much either of us want it! You need to accept that! And if you can't…" Vanille's throat tightened with the hard ball of emotion rumbling around in her gut, emotion that was making her cry, but she clung to the anger too. She needed that. "I'm not going to mate you if you can't come to terms with it." Vanille's voice broke. Her legs were about to go. She stared at Sky with tears streaming and a heavy heart burdened of her pain and love. "It's not fair to either of us. You're not going to 'fix' me, Sky. And if that's the only way you can see us—as your purpose with me to give me a baby, then we shouldn't be together at all anymore."

Vanille's legs wobbled precariously, but she stiffened them as best she could to the spot to finish. "I know our plans included children," Vanille sniffed, so hard pressed to get this all out. "You need to think about that. And if you can't see us in the future without them… " Vanille swallowed hard and finally broke eyes from Sky's petrified ones. "Then I can't really blame you... But don't come back to me apologizing until you've figured it out. I can't keep pretending like this anymore." Vanille steeled her trembling resolve. "And take a few days to think about it. I don't want a rush of the moment proclamation. I want you fully aware of the fact that you'll never have a child with me. Not ever. Your last born child will be Ember for as long as you're with me." She sniffed. "I'm renting another room at the inn. That's where I'll be." Unable to catch her eye again for fright that she might run into Sky's arms and tell her she would pretend forever, Vanille turned her back on them and left, knowing in her heart of hearts this was right.

It didn't make it any easier to say goodbye to her love.

**XXX**

Lightning collected up her stack of letters from where she'd plopped them down on her small, military-plain mattress and leaned back on the bed to sort through the bundle. She tossed the fan and hate mail, interview invitations, and other uninteresting pieces away, which made up over three-fourths of the stack. A typed out envelope from Maqui, she put aside with the envelopes from PSICOM she occasionally received to read later.

"There could be credits in those," Candice commented, watching Lightning dump the last of the fanmail straight into the garbage.

"You are free to raid my garbage and find out," Lightning hit upon the letter she'd been waiting for that came faithfully every week. _To Claire, _the front read with no return address. Lightning already knew who and where it was from. She'd memorized every curve of her sister's hand-written lettering by now. They were the best part of her week.

"You're not even a little curious?"

Lightning nosed her nail under the slip and opened the letter. "Not even a little."

Candice sighed and quieted just a moment while Lightning pulled the letter out. She'd have preferred to read Serah's while alone, but they only had so much time off aside from night and sleeptime, it was a bit inevitable that Candice had to be there. She probably recognized the heavy Gran Pulse parchment because she next asked. "That one from Serah?"

"Mhmm." Candice quieted once again, thankfully knowing Lightning liked to read these letters in peace. Lightning unfolded it out without further distraction and started at the top of the letter, which began:

_Claire,_

_How are you? I really miss you, as always. I wish you could be here with me. I keep thinking everything would be better here if you were, but I know how you feel about that, and Jaeger's still being stubborn, so I'll just have to keep happy with our letters. Anyway, how have you been doing? What's going on at GC? Have they given you that promotion yet or what? I know you're going to get it. Fang says you learned so fast during training sessions with her, no way is there anyone who'll outdo you in Cocoon. And I tend to agree! Oh, Claire, I'm missing you so much. Please tell me everything that's going on with you. I'm really looking forward to your letter back this week especially. You're probably wondering why, and I'll tell you! But I just want to say first how much I'm missing you this week. I want to suggest another phone call, but the station's pretty far from here and Jaeger doesn't much like when we go out that far too often. Not with Fang along anyway, but I know I'm going to feel a lot better again when I see your returned letter, so I'll just have to wait for that._

Even without reading further contents of the parchment, Lightning itched to already. Serah complained of missing her almost every letter, but not always to such a wistful extent. Something might've happened to make her crave it more, and though Lightning couldn't show up there for a visit, Serah seemed really comforted by her letters back, which Lightning was just as happy about because it was exactly what Serah's letters brought her—comfort.

_Anyway, things down here have been consistent. Jaeger's still a little stubborn, but she's not unfriendly or anything. I just wish she'd loosen up a bit for Fang and Anya. I can't hear as well as all these crazy, hypersensitive Yuns, but you get the idea she's not doing very well with Anya. I haven't seen them openly fight or anything, but you can like, see the stress building. It's not good for either of them, and definitely not for Fang. She's still a little shy, but I think Fang's really on her way to recovering now. There's been no instances of her addiction since that horrible one a few weeks ago when she tried to snort the clumpweed, and Summer says healing on her arm's going really well. I try not to look when the bandage is off, but it sounds like they're on skin layers now, not the muscle. And! It shouldn't hurt Fang as much as they pull away from the muscle tissue, which is good because I don't think Fang likes it when we hear her cry out during healing sessions with Summer._

_So, things are starting to look up on Fang's end. I think she still sleeps with Jaeger and Anya sometimes, but I haven't seen an outbreak of her addiction trembles for a week now. And she's eating a lot more. I didn't fully understand it, but her body's metabolism and functions accelerate during the healing. Anya says it's why she still hasn't gained too much weight yet, but once that arm is cleared up, she should be able to do that better. And Fang says hi, by the way, like she usually does. She's actually writing you a letter too. I'll slip it in with mine next week I send one out to you._

Lightning _was _happy to hear the news about Fang. She and Serah both suspected the problems with Jaeger and Anya would clear up once Fang was better again, but the Yun had to get to that stage before the family could round up. Either way, the note about her signs of addiction dying out made Lightning pretty happy. That stretch had been a long road for Fang between weaning off the drugs and healing. Perhaps her arm would even get better, faster now that she seemed to be doing better and actually eating.

_Otherwise, I know you asked about how Anya's coping your last letter: to be honest, I think she's struggling a little. Heartbroken, maybe. She'll give everyone else smiles and support, but when she does smile, you can see it's kind of sad. I wish Jaeger would stop being such a butt over Fang cuz I'm sure that's not helping. This is a weird way to put it, but I also haven't run into Jaeger and Anya… getting busy since we've had Fang back. You know how important and almost daily sex is to Yuns, it just concerns me a little **not **to see them doing that, you know?_

_Anya actually had a small heart-to-heart the other day. I… slipped up and called her 'Mom' –I know, I'm not helping anything and I'm really sorry for it. I apologized to her for it immediately. She didn't get mad. She just… sort of started talking about you, actually. I don't know what was said between you two before she left, but she sounded really sad, Claire. She said she wished we'd never left from the first time we visited Paddra, and not just because of Fang. She wants you here almost as bad as I do, it sounded like, but since Jaeger's not a fan… She even told me she'd have been happy to have us as children, Claire. I know Jaeger outwardly seems like she's taken this the hardest with the grudges she holds, but I think Anya's really hurting about it. I wish I could bring you here. I really think that'd do Anya some good. I'm sorry I don't have better news about her… Anya actually asked about you too. She wants to know how you're doing...if you're well or if you... need anything. I'm really sorry, Claire. I know how much you care about her too. I'll spend some more time with her, try to do what I can from this end, you know._

Lightning cringed to hear that about Fang's mother. In all senses, the woman had every right to hate her as much as Jaeger for stabbing them in the back over Fang like she had. But Anya didn't hate her, and Lightning had nothing but caring concern for the sweet woman, one she'd regarded close to her own mother when she'd been with Fang. Lightning ached for Anya, but she couldn't do as Serah wanted and show up in Gran Pulse. Such an appearance would only further stress the tension between Jaeger and Anya, a tension that only existed because she'd let Fang reach such an awful state when she'd kicked her out. Lightning didn't want to chance writing Anya in case Jaeger picked up the mail and she didn't want to go behind anyone's back in that family either, but maybe in her letter back, she could slip Serah a note for Anya. She couldn't make Fang better, but Lightning could at least assure her she was well and not to worry about her, that Anya's feelings had been relayed. Maybe...

_Aside from that sadder part, _Serah continued, her letters always long and lengthy, _Sky and Vanille took your advice and went to that herbalist. I had to tell Sky a little fib—don't worry, nothing important!—but just that I was the one with the original idea for you to look her up because she's too stubborn to go off your advice. I wish she'd listen. Her and Jaeger, I wish they'd listen to Fang's story when she tells them it's not your fault, but you know those two… I really worry for Vanille sometimes too. She seems so stressed out with her inability to bear children, I just want to help her some way, you know? Sky's pretty determined to, actually. She's not really accepting how serious the prognosis is, which I'm not sure if that's helping or not, but Vanille definitely seems buried under it all. I just hope the herbalist has something she can offer them. I'm not sure what they're going to do if she doesn't. They're still out now, probably on their way back from Norath by now. We'll see them later today or tomorrow and see how it went._

_So… you're probably wondering why I haven't mentioned Hawke yet. I don't want you to panic and scramble over here before you read everything, so that's your warning! You have to read it all first and not jump to conclusions. In fact, would this make you scramble on down here? Maybe I'll get to see you after all! Kidding, kidding, Hawke's humor, okay, here it is: Hawke and I had a fight a couple of days ago. We almost broke up over it. We're actually not in the clear yet over it, but I think we will be in a few days. Here's the thing, and don't panic straight off the bat, but you know how Yuns are in their society… particularly about sex and playing around with sexual things... Well, I've been ready to take the next step with Hawke for a while now—_

If Serah had been any more accessible to her, her estimation of Lightning's reaction would've been spot on. As it was, Lightning could only grip the parchment harder and struggle not to rip the message. It wasn't so much panic over Serah thinking herself ready for sex so much as an innate instinct to stop it from happening in complete aside from the fact that Serah wasn't ready to have sex—

_But I'm **not **talking about sex! Serah explained in the following line. I mean other things like groping, maybe some touching… third base kind of stuff._

Oral! Lightning was back to gripping the page hard in another second. Third base was oral!

_And I'm telling you this because I want to be completely honest with you, _Serah continued on to say._ I know you're probably burning where you sit to read this and I'm sorry for that, but I'm not a little girl anymore, Claire. I've thought about this a lot. Well before we even had our fight about it—and you should be happy to know Hawke's side of the fight was that I'm not ready for it either! Well, sort of. See, I've been too shy to tell her I'm ready to move on with her—And that's not because I'm not ready! It's because… well, it's because of other reasons that'd just make you freak out more, so I'm not going to say them. Just listen, Claire! Moving ahead with Hawke has been on my mind for a month now- _

A month? Lightning silently balked. It was the first she was hearing of it!

_-but because I didn't say it, she doesn't think I'm ready. I'd really like you to take your overprotective-sister cap off on this one, but that's probably not going to happen, I know, so I'll try to console you however I can when it happens. Besides, you had sex with Fang! I'm not even asking for that! I would feel better if you didn't just yell at me in responding, though. I am still sort of sensitive about it. I'd appreciate some support… though, if I see you here within the next few days, I'll suppose I'm not getting that this time…_

_Oh, and Summer raised an interesting question. That might sound weird when you hear the question, but… were you a virgin before Fang, Claire? _Lignting quirked an eyebrow. _Summer_ had raised that question, had she? _You don't have to answer, but you're not going to burn my innocent eyes on the page if that's a no… there's only so many times you can walk in on people screwing like it's entirely normal and be shocked by it. Sky and Vanille have sort of cured me up of that… you should see how they rut sometimes, Claire. It's intense._

Lightning shook her head. No, thank you.

_Anyway, I have one last thing of note! If your head isn't still about to pop bad enough from the whole Hawke issue, I had a chat with Summer the other day. Yes, she, villainous Summer, and I'm still prepared to hate her with every fiber of my being if you want me to! _Lightning quietly shook her head with a small smile _…But she was kind of sweet. She came to me when I was still all upset over Hawke and comforted me. We had a little talk and… she's actually not that bad, Claire. She said some nice things about you. About you being brave and smart, which are both completely true. _Lightning's eyebrow arched again. _And! I'm not supposed to tell you this, but we can just keep it between you and me that I did. Sisters first! Summer told me she was actually jealous of you at one point! Her! Ms. Perfect! You've got the stuff to make a woman like that jealous Claire!_

_But badmouthing her aside, if that's what we're doing, _Badmouthing, Serah called it. Lightning rolled her eyes, still smiling. Serah couldn't 'badmouth' without complimenting her half the time, _she really was kind of nice. A bit egotistical, but how are you supposed to be when you strut around looking like her? But! I'm prepared to resume petty hatred on a moment's notice, Claire! It's totally justified if you don't want me to like her, so just let me know and I'll give her glare-y eyes across the table! When she's not looking. Maybe. Or, you know, I'll hate her quietly because she can kick my ass 'till Sunday if she sees me giving her weird looks._

Her sister was utterly silly; Lightning loved it. No one could make her smile like Serah could. Though, maybe Fang could.

_Summer aside, everything's functioning as it usually does down here. I really don't want you to be mad about Hawke. Who else am I going to talk to about all the new stuff I'm experiencing if I can't talk to you? I'm kidding if you really don't want to hear it, but if you do… I'd like to talk about it somebody. Just a thought. It's okay if you really can't hear it without wanting to decapitate her, I don't want that either, so… anyway, Claire, I think that's all the things of note from this week. Hawke and I will be getting back together. Summer's not entirely evil. Sky and Vanille along with Jaeger and Anya are all still working at it._

_And oh! Her kids are really sweet. We can say they get that from Sky and Kale (Kierra's father), but I'm loving babysitting them, Claire, they're so sweet. Rivera's not even rude to me anymore, and Ember's so cute. Kierra's a little older (9) and I worry when she picks up a weapon and starts swinging it around, but she's sweet as socks when she's unarmed! I'm really starting to love these little ones— but don't worry! Not enough to have one on my own or anything. Okay. I'm going to stop scaring you now. I'm just really happy to write you and supernervousandexcited to hear back from you again. Please don't crush my soul in response! I hope things are well where you are Claire, and I can't wait for bootcamp to be over to visit. Five weeks! I'm so excited for it, Claire, and I hope the GC is making you as happy as it possibly can. Missing you so much over here. I love you so much and hope you're doing well._

_All my love,_

_Serah_

As soon as she had finished it, Lightning re-read the letter over once again. It wasn't necessary, but she liked having the words of her sister's letter fresh in her mind and the relief from hearing of her all over again. Though she had more than a few spots of concern with this letter, Lightning appreciated knowing it all, and that Serah felt safe enough to tell her these things. If she'd learned one thing from the experience with Fang, it was truth and honesty between family was the only way to go. Lightning didn't have secrets from Serah anymore, and Serah shared everything from her side back over. Lightning wanted to keep it that way too, so as much as Serah's fears were legit in being reprimanded for Hawke, Lightning wasn't going to be harsh on her. Just… cautionary.

"Your face changes as you read her letters, you know." Candice commented, drawing her eyes after she'd finished through a second time. "Everything okay with your sister there?"

"Yeah," Lightning looked up at the parchment in her fingers, giving everything more time to sink and formulate for what she'd send Serah back her next break-time later that night when it was quiet. "I think it's going to be just fine."


	7. Chapter 7

The front door opened as Serah grabbed an apple from the bowl in the middle of the dining room table. Everyone in the room, including Serah, Jaeger, and Anya looked up to see Sky and Vanille at the front door, but before anyone could even call out a friendly welcome greeting, Vanille charged straight up the stairs, keeping an unhappy face mostly hidden from them. "Whoa!" Hawke flattened to the wall as the little bull charged past. Hawke looked from the unhappy fleeing girl to the miserable one standing at the foot of the stairs. She judged Sky would be the safer bet. "You two okay, Sky?"

"No," Sky answered, oddly frank in supreme depression as the door upstairs closed. She glanced to the living room to see Jaeger and Anya near Serah and frankly told. "Vanille and I are taking a break," Sky revealed miserably, "I don't want to talk about it. Vanille might want to later, though, Anya."

At the table, Anya nodded quietly. "Okay."

Sky glanced back at Hawke once, then took off through the den on the opposite side of the living room. "I'll be on the couch," Sky claimed, taking the one opposite in the family room where the children sometimes played indoors. She left without saying anything else. Hawke watched her out, then looked across the living room where those three had quieted.

"Serah," Hawke summoned over, as much to break the awkward moment that'd appeared as to talk to her. "You wanna go for a walk?"

"Yeah," Serah took the apple to go, "I'll be back in a couple of hours, Anya." Serah reported before she left. "And maybe you can finally show me how to season and spear the boar roast if dinner starts late enough."

"Of course, Serah." Anya nodded to her departing form. "I'd like that very much."

Hawke waited for her at the door and opened it. Serah slipped out ahead of her and waited until Hawke came out. "Where are we walking?" Serah asked. Hawke shrugged, but preferred something a little quieter this time.

"The outskirts of the village, maybe?" Serah agreed and they started out. It was weird not to hold her hand as they went, but Hawke didn't think Serah would take hers this time. Too presuming, given what their last serious conversation entailed—some would call it a fight, but Hawke didn't really like thinking of it that way, even if it led to their breakup. It was a discussion they had to have for their relationship's direction. "So," Hawke offered as a point of smalltalk in case Serah hadn't had enough time or didn't want to talk about them. "Pretty crazy about Sky and Vanille, huh?"

"I think they needed it," Serah answered respectfully, "I mean, I hope they get back together over it, but they seem so stressed out of late. Couples need to have a fight every now and again to sort things out."

It sounded like it, but Hawke couldn't be sure if she was referencing that back to them or not. "You think so?" she asked, seeking her confirmation or insight. Serah gave her a sideways glance.

"Yeah. It puts things into perspective a little better, I think anyway." Hawke shuffled a little, her question of them still up in the air. As they walked, Serah's hand unexpectedly pressed to hers with fingers folding in-between Hawke's like she'd done so many times before. The warmth today was like fire. "Hawke," Serah said more softly, "I'm ready to talk if you are."

Hawke swallowed a gulp. "Are you sure?" She almost croaked, "It's only been three days. If you need more time— "

"I'm okay," Serah offered in that small, cute little voice she had, but sounded confident about it. "But if you need more time, I can wait."

"I don't," Hawke claimed, but glanced around them once. They were almost on the outskirts of the village side nearest their house. "But let's get out there first and find a spot to sit down."

"Okay," Serah agreed in that equally soft, soothing tone. Hawke's nerves weren't eased.

"You seem pretty calm about this," Hawke commented as they went.

"I'm a little nervous," Serah admitted. "I don't wanna say the wrong thing or forget something, but I've had it in mind what I wanna say now for a little bit. What about you?"

"A little more nervous than you, I think." Hawke finally pulled free from the last row of houses and the boarded wall, leveraged to keep fiends out. She tugged Serah's hand to take her around the bend of the wooden wall where they found a spot in the grasses and sat beside each other, facing the fields that grew up the farther they went out. The rocky ledges led to the cove of hotsprings just beside, accessible from within the wooden wall and out. Sometimes fiends wandered in, small ones like wolves and the oversized ducks, but no one barred off the other side. It wasn't a serious enough problem for that. "Do you want to go first?" Hawke asked, their hands now separated with hers resting on raised knees as she watched Serah intently with a turned head her way.

"I can do that," Serah agreed, eyes flicking outward over the fields for comfort away from the awkwardness of bringing this up. "We left off at our break because I've been torturing you, right?" Hawke winced. She felt like such an ass just hearing it. "Oh, don't cringe," Serah objected, noticing that. "I have been torturing you. Sex is like sleep to Yuns, and you haven't had any for months."

Hawke kept wincing. "Don't make it sound like it's your fault, Serah. It's not. It's mine. It's… me."

"Hawke," Serah spoke in that gentle, but chastising tone. She didn't raise her voice, but her empathy was firm. "I know how much sex means to you and the Yuns. I know it's a cultural pride for your people. You don't have to feel bad about getting nervous because I haven't been giving you any. The truth is, I _have _been holding something back from you. It came out all wrong the other day because I waited too long, and that's my fault, but I've been ready to move forward with you, Hawke. I've wanted to try other things with you. Maybe not sex yet, but things like groping and handjobs and oral… the step right before it so that I could get to the comfort level to have sex with you."

It all _sounded_ glorious, and that would satisfy Hawke too—she wanted to intimately touch her girlfriend. Even if they couldn't have sex, those were the stages just before it, and it'd keep Hawke sated just to be able to do _something _with Serah. But every time Hawke had tried in the past to do those things… "You pull away," Hawke said in a sad, wishing-it-were-different tone. "Every time I've tried that, you pull away, Serah."

"That's why this is my fault," Serah claimed, turning her head to meet Hawke's eye in earnest. "I've wanted to do those things with you too, but every time we almost get to it, I start thinking about the consequences. I think, 'Serah, you'll get riled up in this and what happens if you go all the way right off the bat.'"

"I wouldn't push for sex if you weren't ready for it yet," Hawke interjectingly said. She had to know that.

"I know," Serah assured, looking at her with sad gray eyes. "It's not you I'm worried about, it's me. I keep thinking if we push that far that you were, you know, pleasuring me, I'd have no sense to stop it. I'd tell you to keep going, and after… what if I wasn't good enough?" Serah turned her head away, looking shamed and embarrassed. "I'm a virgin, you know. And you're the hottest, studliest girl I've ever dated. The _only _girl I've ever dated. I can't stop thinking… I won't be good enough for a Yun. For you."

"Serahh," it was Hawke's turn to chastise now. "Virgins get better at sex, you know? Even if you were grossly bad at it, which I highly doubt would be the case, that's why you have a partner to learn with. I would never break up with you because you weren't a professional lovemaker your first time. Or your second or third or any of those early months. Sex is like riding a wyvern, Serah. You just get good at it."

"Is that like a saying here?" Hawke tilted to head, but Serah shook hers, still looking on straight ahead. "I guess I always knew you'd never be that mean to me… it's just hard, you know? Guys in my world aren't like Yuns. They do that kinda thing— break up with you after sex, never call back or talk to you again, even tell their guy friends what kind of lay you were and if you sucked."

Hawke balked. "What? Who did that?"

Serah gave her a sideways glance with the smallest of smiles. "Not to me, dummy. I'm still a virgin. It's just something some of them do." Who the fuck would do that? Hawke's brow furrowed.

"That's normal of your men?"

"Not all of them," Serah defended. "Some of them are nice guys… they're just a little rarer. And usually fat."

Hawke's brow cinched again. "Eww."

Serah let off a soft chuckle. When she next looked at Hawke, her eyes were full of emotion and gentleness. "I know you wouldn't do that. It's just been hard for me to take the next step with you with all the 'what if's out there. I mean, you're Yun, you know? The way Claire talks and writes about Fang, I doubt there's any going back once I've been with you, you know? Everything else would feel like settling. But since I can't be sure I'll always have you… I just get scared to take that first step forward into the unknown…"

I don't want to break up with you over it. I wanna keep being your girlfriend, Hawke. And do things with you. I'm sorry I got too scared this whole last month to tell you. I just… didn't want our spot to change for the worst. I'm sorry."

"Serah," Hawke moved from her back against the wood to kneel in front of her girl who had curled up her legs in front of her all cutely. Hawke kneeled before her and reached out a hand to Serah's cheek with her thumb. She stroked the skin back there, glad to not feel any wetness, though Serah seemed on the verge of it in some senses. "I don't want to break up with you either. You're an amazing girlfriend. The best I've ever had."

Serah smiled a little with watery eyes at Hawke. "I'm the _only _girlfriend you've ever had."

"Yes, well." Hawke adapted. "You're the best girl of all those I've done—even without sex, you treat me better than them."

"Would probably treat you better with it," Serah mumbled, making Hawke smile a little too before sobering for her girlfriend. "Listen, Serah," Hawke told her in good faith and complete honesty. "I can't promise you that I'm going to be with you forever either. I can't make that promise." Hawke held her arm. "But I want to, and that's more than I've wanted to tell any girl before. I want us to work. But I'm not perfect either, Serah. I'm going to make mistakes. I admit, I had some fears about your comfort level with me too-"

"You shouldn't, Hawke." Serah interjected a small part of her words. "I might be a little slower than you like me to be picking it all up, but I want to be a girl you're proud of to have too. I know you had the reputation of your fetish for Cocoon girls in Paddra," Hawke coughed in the back of her throat. Serah smiled. "But I know how much you love being a Yun too. I wanna participate in that. In… all your Yun traditions. Eventually. I'm sorry it's taking me so long to get there."

Hawke leaned in instinctually to kiss the unnecessary apology off her lips. She pulled back after only a few seconds to say. "You're the best, Serah."

Serah's gray eyes seemed to gleam. "Hawke," she reached out a hand and touched Hawke's chin, guiding her closer so that their lips almost brushed. "Maybe we should try this… one more time."

Hawke's stomach fluttered. If Serah meant what she thought—and then her girlfriend's lips were on her. Serah's legs folded down as she tugged her kneeling Yun closer to kiss, once again forming a hard bundle that stiffened and slowly pressured hard against her pants, so tight in jeans so used to the feel. Hawke barely held back the groan from the mere touch of those lips. Serah's mouth melted her like chocolate inside.

Serah pulled her down from the kneel a little further and Hawke's heart skipped a beat as her arousal touched her belly. Serah gave a quick inhale, but didn't pull away as Hawke's hard flush of heat grazed her stomach through clothes. "Mmm," Serah moaned after a long moment, their kiss long, deep, terribly arousing and slow. "That what I think it is?"

She was being so sexy, and had been such an amazing girlfriend. Hawke wanted her now more than ever.

_Bing! _A small noise sounded. The pressure loosened a tiny bit. Hawke separated and glanced down where Serah's eyes followed. There, they found a button on Serah's shirt that'd gone missing from Hawke's pants above the zipper. Serah's pink, fluffy brows furrowed. "Did you pop your button?"

"I didn't reach for it!"

"You didn't finger it?"

"I swear!"

A small smile started to form on Serah's delicious lips as her eyes rose with an amused tint to Hawke. "Your arousal popped the button?" Hawke actually blushed.

"It's pretty hard in there…"

Serah giggled and it was lyrical to hear her mirth so happy again. "I really have been torturing you, haven't I?" Serah glanced down at her again and quirked her head. "How big are you anyway? I thought boob size was the indicator of length…"

Hawke balked. "What? That makes no sense at all, Serah! You think Fang's shrunk down there because she's a skinny little twiglet? That's the only big thing about her right now."

"Oh…" Serah registered, "Yeah… so, how big are you?"

"Maybe we should play _before _I tell or show you." Hawke suggested, then glanced up and around. "Besides, I have a walk of fame to have with you. No way am I letting some random Sylk show up and make you stop in the middle."

Serah blushed. Before she could say anything, Hawke wound arms around her stomach and easily pulled her up half over her shoulder like a log. "OhmyGod!" Serah squeaked, turning redder. "What are you doing?"

"Your walk of fame," Hawke said calmly, starting off with her. "You're my Flame and I'm taking you home with me for all the village to see."

"Is this some kind of Yun tradition of claiming?"

"Not really," Hawke shrugged. "I'm just bragging that you're going home with an erect stud to all these reserved villagers."

"Hawke, you're terrible!" Serah blushed so bad.

"I don't feel you kicking."

"I'm hiding my face, just so you know."

"That's okay," Hawke rubbed her leg in comforting. "Everybody recognizes your hair anyway."

"You know I'm only letting you do this because I feel bad about making you suffer the past month."

Hawke grinned, quite happy with that anyway. "That's why you're the best girlfriend." To a passing Teff with wide eyes, she greeted. "Evening, Teff! Just taking my Flame home for some tender loving." She must've glanced over at Serah too because Serah hid her face in Hawke's back a moment after.

"You better be _really _nice to me tonight."

"I plan on it."

**Smilodon, 9**

**XXX**

Serah woke up pleasantly warm. With a beautiful Yun pressed up to her back, thick blanket covering their clothed bodies, the familiar press of her Yun was something Serah relished and loved. In addition to the familiar, encompassing warmth she received from the bear hug around her belly, Serah felt that familiar and missed hard center beneath silky cloth and her own, thin pajama pants. Hawke felt so hard there to the curve of her butt, she practically pulsed.

Serah savored the feel of it beneath the blankets they were under. Just yesterday, she'd touched it. Purposefully. And with Hawke's guidance, she'd spread her Yun's sticky lust over her fingers and slowly went through her first session of rubbing Hawke off. Serah liked the slow, purposeful strokes better, as opposed to the rapid drags up and down when Hawke had been close. When she'd reached the point of no return, Hawke whimpered and stilled her hand. Serah had watched in amazement as Hawke's contractions took her into pleasure. She'd 'yipped' at the first squirt, but had been too taken in watching the tip of her penis and orgasmic flexes that had Hawke coming. Serah looked up to her girlfriend after. She'd never seen anyone come before, and Hawke seemed so pleasured by it, her eyes were still closed. "Hawke?" Serah had asked, and Hawke had kissed her for it, looking like one of the happiest Yuns Serah had ever seen with that smile.

They'd touched a little. Hawke had squeezed her in places, but hadn't gone on beyond that with her and instead played a little exploratory game of Hawke's body. Serah had seen her naked before, of course, she'd been like that the first time they met! But she hadn't played the touchy game with Hawke before, and she had to admit, she'd liked it.

And now she was warm, made up with her perfect woman and enjoying the feel of her pressing in these early morning hours. Sometimes, the universe just worked out for a little bit. For Serah, it was anyway. And behind her, Hawke squeezed gently in the early morning hours, barely waking and comfortable where she lay as well. "Mmm."

Serah smiled, so happy to be past their squabble. Maybe Hawke would let her touch and experiment on her again this morning. Serah wanted to be good for Hawke when it came to intimacy. Hawke had been very happy yesterday; Serah intended to make her so again. "Hawke, are you waking?"

"Mhmm," Hawke murmured, nuzzling her face into Serah's hair with affection. She kissed there. "G'morning."

"Morning," Serah bit back a happy smile, reserved all to herself. "Are you comfortable, Hawke?"

"Very," Hawke squeezed her with those strong arms around the belly, making Serah lay a hand over one to touch her and be warm. "Are you?"

"I couldn't be comfier," Serah told her back truthfully, so happy and warm when Hawke held her like this. She didn't mind the bulge at all; it was actually making her all curious again. Serah bit back her guilty smile turning up the edges of her mouth. "I bet you could be, though."

"Oh yeah?"

"Oh, yeah," Serah licked the top of her bottom lip, all giddy with butterflies. "Maybe we could try what I did yesterday again…"

"You want to give me another hand job?"

"If you want one, maybe…"

Hawke loosened her grip around Serah enough to turn her in her arms, which Serah helped to do to look into Hawke's face. Hawke's lips smoothed over hers before another word could be said. Her hand soothed over her arm, keeping her cozy as talented lips made Serah's quiver for more. Serah just melted in her bodily love.

**XXX**

"Daddy, that tickles!" Ember giggled, lifting small hands to her head where Sky rubbed in the bubbly shampoo to her hair. Ember clutched at Sky's fingers, fighting the giggles.

"You have a sensitive head, little button." Sky smiled at her youngest in the big, bubbly tub, leaned over, and kissed her girl's soapy head, getting bubbles around her lips, which made Ember giggle and reach for them with an equally-soapy hand. She got it all over her daddy by accident while trying to rub off the mini-suds that'd attached to Sky's lip and laughed.

"Daddy!" Ember cried out, horribly giggling to herself over the suds on Sky's face.

"Is it something on my face?" Sky asked the giggling one, playing along with her.

"They look like kitty whiskers," Ember smiled, little eyes all full of mirth and childish humor.

"You know, Em," Sky told her, wiping off the suds as she reached down again to help washing her little one. "People in Cocoon grow whiskers on their faces like suds."

"Whattt?" Ember made a face.

"It's true," Sky shared, "They get tiny little whiskers all over their faces. And they have to shave them to get them off every day, otherwise they get all prickly about the face."

"Nuh-uh," Ember denied, "Prickles on the face?"

"Like a cactus." Sky told her. Ember gave a doubtful look, and Sky shared. "You wanna know the worst part?"

"What?" Ember asked, anxious to hear it. Sky had even grabbed Rivera's attention behind her in the tub and Kierra behind Rivera gave her a skeptical brow. "What is it, Dad? What's worse?"

Sky leaned in as if to share a secret with her little girl. "The worst part," Sky shared, making Ember lean in to make sure she heard it all and understood. "Worse than waking up with prickles on your face _every _morning," she touched Embers cheeks to mar it with bath suds as the littlest one listened, the most attentive. "Is that some of them… don't even shave them off in the morning!"

"Eww!" Ember cried, reaching up to touch her cheek where the suds were. "They walk around all prickly, Dad?"

"Out in public, even!"

"Eweweww!" Ember cried, "Daad!"

Sky smiled gently. "And that's why Gran Pulse doesn't mix with Cocoon, Sweetie. People are unsanitary there."

"That's gross, Daddy."

"It is indeed," Sky agreed. "Dunk time, Ember. Scoot a little over for your sister, Rivera." Rivera scooted near Kierra to give her some space. Kierra waited until Sky dunked Ember's little head half under enough to cover her ears under water. Rivera started helping of her own volition to wash out Ember's hair with Sky.

"Is that true, Uncle?" Kierra asked, light brown eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Or are you just scaring Ember?"

"Scare my child heedlessly? I would never. It's entirely true, Kierra. Ask your mother if you don't believe me." Sky nodded back to Summer, who'd stilled in fetching towels to watch the father with her little girls. She had her quirks, but Sky was a good father. Summer really felt for her in her dilemma with Vanille. Sky had a big choice ahead of her. Caught behind forced realism from Vanille and the prospect of never fathering another baby to be with her… it wasn't a spot Summer would relish finding herself in either.

"Mom?" Kierra looked to for confirmation.

"Sky's right about that," Summer confirmed with a tender smile that had Kierra shocked.

"Wow… gross."

"It's called facial hair," Summer explained with a soft chuckle. She came over to the lip of the tub and set down the clean towels over the edge. Dipping the washcloth she'd fetched into the bathwater, Summer lifted it to clean her eldest. "It's something of a style of theirs, I'm told."

"They're weird," Shuddering, Kierra reached over the washcloth Summer used to rub her back with, "Thanks, Mom." Taking the cloth from her mother, Kierra pushed blonde locks aside to her shoulder to get all her spots. Sky had just lifted Ember out of the water.

"Thatt'a girl. Now, let's condition up your head so we can comb through it."

"I've got it, Dad," Rivera volunteered, taking the bottle from the tub edge to do her little sister's hair.

"Make sure you get all of it," Sky reached out to catch a large gallop that'd been sliding down the side of her head and put it back on top. She let her fingers dangle in the water to clean them, watching her children help each other with bathing. Kierra and Rivera were old enough to shower by themselves, of course, but with only two upstairs bathrooms to share with eight people, it made more sense to wash them all together. The one bathroom was only a half and partially attached out of Sky's former bedroom with Vanille too, so Summer understood her desire to steer clear of it for now. Besides, with three little ones, it just made sense to keep them together.

Sky's eyes moved from her children to the floor for a moment before they finally lifted at Summer. She could see the sadness in those eyes and understood it well. As much as Sky loved interaction with their children and wouldn't give that up for anything, it was a harsh reminder of the choice she faced with Vanille. A lifetime without more children at Sky's barely-mature age? It must've seemed so bleak to her.

"Summer," Sky finally asked, glancing from the kids in the tub back to her. "What would you do… in my place?"

"About Vanille?" Summer asked just to make sure, though she had fair confidence this is what Sky meant. Sky nodded quietly and glanced at the kids. Rivera watched her curiously back every now and again, but Ember was too preoccupied with bathtime toys and games to give note to Mommy and Daddy's discussion.

"Be honest," Sky added. "Please."

Summer sighed; Sky needed to talk to someone, this much she'd figured, but she probably didn't have the same love-driven blindness Sky did about it all. "You're very young, Sky," Summer finally said, "I know you love Vanille and want to be with her, but 21 with four children, both sets who live with their mothers… " Summer shook her head. It was a sensitive topic with her, but one Summer hoped Sky had brought under consideration, considering her circumstance. "Sky," Summer gently pushed, "Have you considered taking Vanille along with another mate?"

"No," Sky laid out flatly, but when Summer looked at her, her eyes were pleading and panicked in addition to determined, "Summer, I can't. I won't be like her."

"Sky," Summer chided softly. "Your circumstance is much different. You're nothing like her."

"Right now," Sky pointed out, "She was fine at one point too."

"Are you guys talking about grandna?" Rivera asked, not missing a beat though they'd never mentioned specifically who in the relationship.

"It's okay, Sport," Sky reached out a hand to her shoulder and rubbed it once. "We're just talking. We're not gonna go see her."

"I want to meet Grandna!" Ember chirped innocently. Having never had the experience of meeting her like Rivera had, she didn't fully know what she asked or how much Sky was determined not to let that happen.

"Nah, Em. She's a bit weird, isn't she, Riv? You wouldn't wanna meet her." Sky played it off for the child, but felt it like a solid rock in her chest.

"Yeah, she's a weirdo." Rivera faithfully seconded her father.

"I still wanna meet her! What kinda girl doesn't know her Grandna?"

"The extra cute ones don't." Sky encouraged.

"Come here, squirt," Rivera took her sister by the arms, gently, not rough and claimed. "We've gotta get that cream rinse out. You ready?" Rivera ducked her ears and head under after a moment when she said she was. "Sorry, Dad," Rivera apologized only after she'd been safely tucked under the water. Sky ruffled her short, little spikey head.

"It's okay, Riv."

"What do you think you'll do, Sky?" Summer asked gently, drawing her attention back. Sky looked back from her children to Summer with such misery in those pretty blues.

"I don't know," Sky seemed at an utter loss, searching for her answers. "Would you break off the courtship for it?"

Summer gave her a sympathetic look. "I'm not you, Sky."

"Is that a yes?" Sky asked, depressed by the answer.

"I don't think I could do it," Summer finally offered, "If I'd been courting a stud made impotent and children from another stud wasn't an option…" Summer looked over at her three in tub with fond eyes. She wanted more; had, in fact, for long months now. Even at her age, older than Sky, to give up all her future children with her or any Yun… "I couldn't do it." She reached out a hand to touch Kierra's blonde head. She had most of her father's coloring, but there were a few light, naturally inlaid browns in there. Summer loved her babies too much.

Sky lowered her head, and it was truly an awful thing to see. Put to the test, she had to decide between her to-be mate and her babies. Summer didn't envy that at all. "What if it was Fang?" Sky unexpectedly asked, drawing Summer's surprised eyes back over to her. Sky wasn't quite meeting her eyes. "If Fang didn't want you to have someone else's… you would leave her?"

Despite being a little blindsided by the abruptness of the question, Summer took the moment to adapt to it. She didn't bother making a fuss over the mention of Fang; Sky knew as much as anybody that she had deep feelings for the woman and had wanted child from her more than once before. Instead, Summer answered truthfully without compromise. "I couldn't, Sky. If Fang were impotent and wouldn't let another Yun impregnate me, I'd leave her. Like I would any stud. I have sixty-some years of future pregnancies ahead of me; I couldn't. Not even for Fang."

Sky cringed so bad, Summer almost felt like she'd struck her. It obviously wasn't the answer Sky had been considering so strongly. Summer knew she wanted to stay with Vanille. As emotionally attached as Sky became, being forced to make a choice between her love or her children was torture. It might've seemed self-inflicted out of her stubbornness, but Summer knew how much becoming like her own mother scared her. She knew that more than anyone after Rivera especially…

Sky's greatest fear ran in line with her mother. She wanted nothing to do with the woman, but they had more similarities than Sky cared to admit. It was why Sky made an active effort to be everything she wasn't. But the fear never left Sky; not entirely, for Luna had been normal before her mind started to go too —that's what Summer had been told anyway; no one knew the whole story but Sky herself, perhaps Ivy, and Luna's mates, but what worried Sky more than she showed was her ability to remember everything so perfect. Sky wasn't the only one with that trait. Luna had it too.

Sky had come to her the first time she'd seen the trait in Rivera. The only other one Sky had ever actively confided to about her mother, Summer knew Sky's ingrained fears of becoming Luna like no one else. It was why Summer couldn't fault her for absolutely refusing a second mate; Luna had had four. Sky _couldn't _be like her in her head, even taking two was too much. Her heartbreaking, seemingly self-inflicted dilemma only proved what a lasting hold Luna's madness had on Sky. Even now, Sky wouldn't look at her for the deep, familial shame and fear she held.

Sky gazed at her little girls in the tub, Rivera who's eyes flicked between Mom and Dad curiously, taking in more than a girl her age would know without that ability that made her so special and smart, and Ember, who lay too young to understand, but smiled up at Sky from her spot in the water cheerfully. Sky lifted out a hand to Rivera and soothed fingers down through the deep blue that matched her own. "Maybe I'm not meant to reproduce anymore," Sky said quietly.

"Dad!" Even Rivera startled at the sound of it.

"Sky— "

"Maybe it's a sign," Sky continued, seemingly oblivious to their protests, "That my line shouldn't be carried… you know?"

"Dad, don't talk like that," Rivera chastised, taking Sky's hand from her hair to hold. The little one didn't know the full situation, even being as smart as she was, Sky hid her fears of her mother well. It was why her next words stung Summer as much as she was sure they affected Sky. "That's crazy."

Sky squeezed Rivera's small hand, "It kind of is, isn't it?" Even Ember and Kierra were looking now, though Kierra at least tried to be polite about it and be discreet. Sky's eyes drifted her way and met Summer's with such a feel of _knowing_, like she thought this inevitable, it was painful.

"Daddy?" Ember asked innocently, sitting up now, all washed.

"Come on, Pup," Sky reached into the tub, look disappearing in an instant as she grabbed up her child on out of the water. "Let's get you dry and ready for the day."


	8. Chapter 8

Vanille knelt in the dirt and pushed together the loose soil, effectively covering the seeds she'd deposited into each little dug hole. She moved to the next and covered those too. One by one, she went down the line of the section she'd just planted, dirtying her hands and knees as she sought solace in the familiar actions of planting new life. Though Vanille didn't know Sulyya's weather as well as Oerba or Paddra's, it'd make a good planting season to bring these up for Gorgon. If she was here that long.

Vanille shut her eyes and tried to put all those troubles on the back burner. Normally, planting brought her peace and happiness, but solace would not come today. It just all hurt. Tears threatened the corners of her eyes as the overwhelming pain grew in Vanille's heart again. She wanted Sky to come up and hold her, but that wasn't good for either of them right now. Vanille had insisted on it, but this time spent in limbo where she didn't know what Sky would choose was killing her.

On the one hand, Sky deserved someone better. Vanille knew how much she loved her children and what a terrific father she was, and they were both so young, Sky had barely had a chance to go out there and procreate her line. She was an amazingly good person and deserved that, and Vanille wanted it for her as well. Sky clung to the people in her life; breaking up would hurt her, but she'd been ultimately happier in the end and fall for a femme that she _could _impregnate and have children with for all her fertile life. And Sky _could _fall for another girl. She fell so hard when she liked one; Vanille had always loved that passion. She would find someone else to love.

But Vanille didn't want her to. Not really. She wanted Sky to be happy, but her selfish side claimed 'with me!' It tore her to pieces. Vanille wanted Sky's comfort so bad, she felt so terrible and useless to the world, unable to do the one thing a mate was supposed to do for her Yun. And now, she didn't even have Sky.

A small, whimpering peep escaped her lips. Vanille quieted herself to keep anyone from hearing. Sky wasn't the only one who could fall in love with someone else; no matter how much she loved her, this… this was best. Sky could have a femme who worked and Vanille… Vanille could find a femme too and let her get pregnant for both of them. Otherwise, she'd keep children from Sky and that… that wasn't fair. But how fair was it that the two studs she'd loved, both of them had left for reasons out of her control? Vanille sat there and wallowed in silent tears.

"Hey, kid," Vanille jerked, then frantically scrubbed at her eyes on instinct. Not like Jaeger didn't already know she'd been crying. As Vanille started to turn, Jaeger crouched down beside her and nearly scared Vanille out of her wits. She hadn't realized she'd been that close. "Don't rub at 'em," Jaeger chastised in her way, which wasn't exactly gentle, but wasn't mean either. Jaeger reached out for her red-rubbed cheeks with a hand to wipe at them. "You got dirt on your face now, Darling."

Vanille lowered her eyes. It'd been her choice to tell Sky off; it was humiliating to now be seen crying about it. Like she had no conviction of will either. The last thing Vanille wanted was for word to get back to Sky, and to have it guilt Sky into making the wrong choice about her. Vanille had to be stronger than this. "Don't tell her," Vanille asked in a small voice. "Don't tell her I was out here… or crying. Please?"

"I'm not runnin' to tattle to Sky what I already suspect she knows, Darling." Jaeger pulled her hand away from Vanille's face. "We're gonna have to wash the rest of that off. Sit down with me, Van." Jaeger sat on the wooden edge surrounding the small garden and waited for Vanille to fall in next to her. "No one's blaming you for crying, Vanille. It's a bloody hard thing to go through. Anya cried some, you know?"

Vanille felt so frail sitting next to Jaeger. The woman was a survivor of nearly the same circumstance and she and Anya were happy. Well, excluding of recently because of Fang… but they'd been happy for years before it. Vanille might've felt a little better if she'd been able to have just one… "She told me," Vanille affirmed, staring down at her legs.

"It's not one of those things you can bloody get over, either." Jaeger told her, "So don't feel bad when the mood catches you and you're mourning 'bout it. That's normal, kid. You'd be a freak not to get sad about it. Anya still gets upset 'bout it every now and then, you know? Wishes she could have another daughter, used to ask me if I'd mate another woman at the start of it too. She wouldn't even be with me when it happened; didn't want me staying with her outta guilt or somethin'. It was pure torture, I'll tell ya. Wouldn't accept me for _months_, no matter what I did or said."

"Do you think I'm torturing Sky?" Vanille asked in a small voice, heavy heart like a stone weighing down her chest.

"I think Sky needed a wakeup, which you gave her well enough. Now, it's up to her. What I'm saying, Van, is if she comes back for you—don't deny her again. At that point, she's had her wakeup call and made her choice. If you keep pressuring her to another girl or mate, it's just gonna break her heart every time you try or say it. Take that from someone who knows, heh?" Jaeger leaned back on her arms, fingers spreading into the dirt. "And whether or not she picks you, Vanille, it doesn't make you inadequate. Not at all, darling. What's happened to ya's an unfortunate mess, that's true, and mourning about it when the feelings strike is fine, but if you let this plague ya all the time and feel like you're nothin' for it, it's gonna swallow you like that. You're more than what you can birth, Van. Even among Yuns."

It made her feel so bad and better at the same time, Vanille felt like a conflicted mess. Another few tears slipped from her eyes and Jaeger lifted a hand to her shoulder to sooth. Vanille naturally leaned in against her, then buried her face in Jaeger's arm and cried. She cried so hard, it felt like everything was slipping out. She emptied herself under the protection of Jaeger's arm.

"Shh, now, Darling." Jaeger rubbingly coaxed. "You're gonna be okay when all this is done. None of us are gonna leave you stranded, Vanille. I promise."

**Smilodon, 11**

**XXX**

"Are you sure you're alright, Fang?" Anya triple-checked. Fang had been going to bed on her own now for almost a week straight; it wasn't common or anything, but Anya didn't want her baby to suffer if she needed the company or something to keep the nightmares away in the dark. "You sure you don't want something? Jerky, gui… we can stay here if you want."

Fang gave her mother and father a small little smile to reassure them. "I'm okay, Mom. I know where your room is if I need you." Anya bent over her baby for one last hug, which Fang freely gave with look of reassurance for her sake.

"You be good, Fang," Jaeger told her from a little behind Anya. "No nightly wandering."

"I promise, Dad." Jaeger went in next and gave her a quicker, but affectionate hug with a hair ruffle.

"We'll see you in the morning, Fang," with no more reason to stay by her tonight, Anya left after her mate with a longing glance back to her girl. She shut the door quietly behind them so as not to startle Fang and followed down the hall to their bedroom where Jaeger already stood in the middle of the room, awkwardly. She half turned as Anya came in after her and scratched at the back of her neck.

"I'm going to shower," Jaeger informed like it was a report. "I've gotta be up early tomorrow to take Sky and Summer out hunting."

"Okay," Anya agreed quietly, "If you need to."

"I do," Jaeger confirmed and went to the dresser for a fresh batch of clothes. Anya didn't exactly know how it'd started, but they never slept together unclothed anymore. Pajamas were something that didn't exist to most Yun cultures, so Jaeger grabbed out some boxers and a short sleeve. "Don't wait up for me."

It stung Anya as cold, though Jaeger probably only said it to try to make things easier for her. They'd shared long and silent awkward hours awake before. "Goodnight Jaeger," Anya bade her woman, who came in passing distance of her and almost did, but stopped to take her hand.

"Take care of Fang while I'm gone."

Anya searched her green eyes for a moment in a small panic. That was something Jaeger could and would've told her the next day. "Won't you be here for breakfast?"

"Not this time," Jaeger shook her head, "When Fang sees us going out hunting, she wants to come. I don't want to depress her in seeing us out." Anya's heart thumped loudly in looking at her through hurt eyes. Jaeger squeezed her hand. "We'll be back in a week, Anya."

"Okay…"

"Goodnight." Jaeger said back without even a kiss to the cheek or forehead. In another moment, her hand and that warmth was gone. She shut the bathroom door behind her, leaving Anya alone. Anya took in a small, soothing breath, went to their closet and changed into something more comfortable to sleep in. Listening to the running shower a room away, Anya crossed to the bed and sat before she pulled up the sheet to lay on her side facing the room. Anya closed her eyes, but sleep was never close at hand these days. She listened to the water of Jaeger's shower instead, eyes closed in attempt to rest.

She listened to the water pouring and thought it sounded like rain. Anya had always liked the rain. She took longer than she usually did, probably waiting for Anya to sleep first. Anya listened to her bare footsteps pad across the bathroom floor as Jaeger towel-dried off. She never blow-dried her hair, so there was no noise from that. It's why Jaeger's stayed so ruffled and unkempt on top. The door opened after another moment and Jaeger closed it quietly behind her. She stood there in the door a moment and finally gruffed. "You're still awake."

Anya released a soft little sigh. She moved into her pillow more for comfort. "Yeah…"

Jaeger took a few steps and the bed shifted as she climbed into it on the other side. She made no move to cuddle to Anya's back or hold her. "You should get to bed, Ayn."

"I will," Anya echoed softly, eyes closed against the anguish. "Eventually."

Jaeger didn't say anything more, but Anya could feel her silent presence behind her, awkwardly lying silent staring up. The quiet was almost worse than her bite. They lay there a moment, extremely awkward, together, but not really. Anya didn't even know what to say to her. They only talked about one thing of late, and even then, it was mostly arguing over her.

"Fang sent her a letter today," Jaeger finally said, and it made her wince. Not exactly the start of a conversation that would lull them quietly into bed, but Anya supposed she should've expected it. Jaeger must've held that in all day now.

"She cares about her," Anya echoed back softly, feeling the headache coming on already. This topic would lead to nothing good between them.

"She shouldn't," Jaeger persisted so stubbornly. "I don't like this letters thing to Lightning. We're crippling her healing by allowing it."

"It's something she needs right now."

"To stay in touch with her abuser?" Jaeger riled up, getting aggravated. Anya felt her sit up. "No, it's fucking not. Who knows what poisonous thoughts that bitch is putting into Fang's head? I can still hear it in her voice when she talks about her. That she still fucking _cares _about her at all is crap! She's acting like a dumbass, Anya. Fang's victimizing herself! I won't have one of those fucking daughters who blame themselves over their abuser! That's Cocoon bullshit!"

Anya didn't say anything because it'd only aggravate her further, but Anya's silence seemed to aggravate her just as much as if she'd spoken. "Aren't you going to say anything?" Anya breathed out a quiet sigh as Jaeger started to stand. "Fuck it! Fuck all this quiet-babying bullshit! I'm going to have a word with her."

Anya's eyes snapped open. That, she wasn't going to let happen. "Jaeger, stop."

Jaeger came to a halt in the middle of the room and shot a glare her way as Anya started to sit up. "Oh, so now you want to talk about it?"

"Jaeger, stop this." Anya warned, "Do you want to cause a war in this household?"

"What I want is a daughter that doesn't act like a moron!"

"Then we shouldn't have had children at all!" Anya snapped, advancing on her. "Daughters fuck up, Jaeger! It's what happens!"

"They fuck up once!" Jaeger shouted back, "It isn't a repeat process you get to do again and again!"

"She hasn't been fucking up!" Anya practically screamed back, "Writing to Lightning is not a sin, Jaeger! I understand that you can't like her, but that does not give you the right to damn Fang for trying! Lightning did not rape our daughter!"

"Like her?" Jaeger practically hissed, her hatred all consuming. "You're right, Anya, Lightning didn't rape Fang. She fucking stood there and let it happen to protect her own ass! And then _after, _she _kicked Fang out of her fucking house for it! Is that the woman you're defending to me?!"_

The door opened to Sky, who came in without invitation with a, "Everybody, shut up."

"Who the fuck invited you?" Jaeger growled like a beast.

"You did when your screaming woke me and half the block." Sky came between them and gave Jaeger a heated glare. "Back off."

Jaeger's eyes could've burned holes in her head, but Sky turned to her without really caring. "Are you okay, Anya?"

"Is she okay?" Jaeger barked, ready to fight over anything. "Like I'd fucking hit my mate! What kind of bullshit— "

"Jaeger, shut up!" Anya hissed in menace and fright, privy to the doorway Sky had just come through where another Yun stood staring, leaning against the doorway with a lost look in horrified, green eyes.

"Mom…" Fang barely managed, shocked and scared eyes looking big and wondrous from Anya to Jaeger in fright. "Daddy…"

"I'm fine, Sky," Anya excused, brushing off her cautious hands from her arms to go to her daughter, who watched with wide eyes like a bomb had gone off.

"Goddamn this village!" Jaeger snapped at a wall and side-punched right through it.

"Fang, Sweetie," Anya reached up and touched her cheek to cradle it. "Let's go to the kitchen," Anya latched a hand around her wrist to tug as gently as she could. Anything to bring Fang away from her angry mate who'd just uttered one of the most scarring inner plights of their daughter. She could be set back months in mentally recovering from it.

"No," Fang said, face straightening definitively, which made Anya's heart skip three beats in her chest.

"Fang— " Fang's eyes flashed to hers and softened. She lifted a hand over Anya's fingers on her cheek, pet up the back of her hand, and lifted it off.

"It's okay, Mom," Fang looked back at Jaeger with that determination returning to her eyes. "It's my fault." Jaeger's jaw tightened. Sky stood between those two now, glancing back and forth as Fang took a step forward into the room. Anya clutched at her hand. The last thing she wanted was confrontation between these two; it yielded nothing but further hurt to this family.

"I sent out the letter, Dad," Fang said more boldly to her father, but kept ahold of Anya's hand. She couldn't tell if it was more for her benefit or Fang's, but Anya's heart trembled. "Why are you always taking my actions out on Mom? Can't you see how miserable and lonely Mom's been?"

Anya's heart opened up for her daughter like a huge, gaping sore. Fang wanted to defend her! Fang really had a heart of gold under all that pain. "Fang— " Fang squeezed her hand to quiet her and continued on.

"If you want to call me a moron, do it to my face. Mom needs you back to normal more than I do. Stop hurting her, Dad. You might have more control than me not to hit her, but you're alienating her _exactly _the same way I hurt Lightning before she threw me out. People can only take so much, Dad. Stress _my _buttons, not mom's."

Anya had been so touched by her defense of her, she had forgotten to look to Jaeger for her reaction. Anya's breath caught as she moved her eyes from her healing, inspired daughter to Jaeger, who looked like all the fight had been beaten out of her in a rush. For as much tough loving as Jaeger tried with Fang, she softened up like a flan when their girl did something heartbreaking.

"You're bein' a dumbass about Lightning," Jaeger said, but even her tone was straw-grasping at best, nothing fight-material menacing.

"Thank you for your opinion," Fang brushed off the flimsy outreach, "Now, don't you have something to say to Mom?"

"Not in front of you, I don't," Jaeger grumbled, wound-licking for some ground. "Git outta here, kid. You're not supposed to be a smartass when you're acting dumb."

Fang squeezed Anya's hand and met her face when Anya looked her way with soft eyes. "Sorry for causing this, Mom."

Anya stood on her toes to kiss Fang's cheek and hug her. "It's okay, Fang," Anya embraced her tall, skinny daughter. "I love you, my girl."

"I love you too, Mom," Fang promised, hugging her, and then looked to Jaeger when the warm hug ended. "And you, Dad."

"Don't make me push ya outta here," Jaeger grumbled, then at Anya's reprimanding look, added. "And love you too, you twit." Jaeger rumbled, pushing on Sky out too. When the door closed behind them, Jaeger's grumbly eyes turned back on Anya and softened, light greens brilliant, even in the dark. "Ayn," Jaeger sighed, heavy eyes matching her mood. "You been miserable with me?"

"I think lonely is the more-fitting word."

Jaeger lifted a hand to her cheek and stroked back. Her eyes went that puppy shape Fang had learned from her so well. "I'm sorry," Jaeger pet the skin lightly. "What can I do?"

Anya read the earnest in her eyes and shame. Her woman could be a proud thing, but Anya never had trouble seeing into her. "Take me to bed," Anya requested quietly, "And don't let me feel so lonely there."

Jaeger lowered her head, shameful eyes on the ground. "I don't think I'm well-equipped for sex yet, Ayn."

"Not what I meant," Anya lifted a hand where Jaeger's had dropped to meet her eyes. "Hold me tonight."

Jaeger warmed her in her arms.

**XXX**

**Smilodon, 18**

"It came!" Serah rushed into her room excitedly, breath half-taken in excitement by the weighty envelope in her hand. "Hawke, she wrote back!"

"To the one you told her about us in?" Hawke popped her head in from the bathroom curiously.

"Yes!" Serah cried, heart pattering so loud in her chest. It'd been over a week and a half since she'd sent hers, but such a delay for mail between worlds wasn't uncommon. Gran Pulse had a healthy message system for choosing to live as they still did with tribes, but that system didn't necessarily extend to Cocoon, so delays and mis-delivered letters wasn't uncommon, but Serah and Lightning worked around it as best they could, and with Serah sending letters every other week when she could, Lightning never fell too far behind in the updates.

"Does this mean I'm off the hook for her showing up in Gran Pulse to kill me?"

"It might!" Serah's fingers quivered. Like Hawke probably was, she felt especially anxious about this one, not _just _for the contents about Hawke, but she'd be fibbing to say that wasn't one of her biggest concerns right now. Serah sat at the desk chair with anxious fingers on the back of the envelope, both excited and a little scared of any disapproval she might about it.

Hawke's fingers soothed onto her shoulders in another nervous moment, having strode in after her to calm Serah with a mini-massage. She bent her head and kissed the top of it. "I'm going to see what Anya's up to and help her out," Hawke told her, politely excusing herself because she knew what a private moment Serah had with her sister when she opened these letters. "You'll let me know if there's any imminent danger to me or my penis later, won't you?"

"Of course," Serah laughed, nervousness breaking down in Hawke's ever-present humor. "I'll tell you all about it when I'm done reading."

Hawke squeezed her shoulders. "I'll be downstairs."

"Hawke," Serah lifted up a hand and tilted her head back. Her hand naturally curled around Hawke's cheek as her lover lowered for a short, tingling kiss on her way out. "Thank you."

"Just say my name if you want me to come back up," Hawke assured, easing her. "I'll be listening for it."

Serah smiled after her as she left and closed the door behind her, then turned back to her letter with a fluttering heart of happy and nervous anxiety. With trembling fingers, she gently fingered under the back lip of the envelope to unseal it. She carefully lifted the paper out and unfolded it. Immediately, a smaller, taped-shut half-square fell out. Serah picked it up curiously and read _For Anya _on the taped over side of it. Her brow furrowed, but Serah put the smaller piece aside. Claire would explain in the letter, she was sure.

Claire's neat-scripted writing began:

_Serah,_

_It's always good to hear from you, even with the unexpected note on your budding relationship with Hawke._

Serah bit her lip. This was it! Her sister suffered no nonsense and usually went straight to the point of things, but Serah thought she might have some aspect of reassurance before rushing into it. But that just wasn't Lightning—she'd give her opinion and be blunt about it, Serah could only hope she wasn't overly harsh. She unconsciously held her breath as she continued to read…

_I love you, nothing's going to change that, and Hawke's been good to you, but please be careful. You already know of my hesitations and the strong urge to gut anyone who touches you, and I will carry you back here myself if you're only considering this to salvage your relationship— that is **not **an adequate reason to progress your relationship— but I trust your judgment that that is not the case. Just please use good reason and not simply your emotions as you move on ahead. I'm your sister, not mom or dad, and I've made a lot more relational mistakes than I hope you ever will, so I'm not going to sit here and write you off for wanting to move on with Hawke. It sounds like you're confident about your choice and getting back together (for which I'm sorry about your fight), and I hope you've worked that out with her by now. If you're happily back together with Hawke, I am (strenuously) happy for you too, Serah, and if you're not, please let me know immediately. I hope Fang's family is taking care of you either way, and if you're miserable, you can **always **come back home. I'd have you shack up with Lebreau until I'm out of boot camp. I'm not encouraging that— I hope you're happy there whatever the case is with Hawke— but the option is always there if you need it._

Serah breathed long and hard, having released the dizzying breath somewhere in the middle when Claire had stopped reprimanding to say she trusted her judgment. She let out another breath and read the paragraph again, almost tearful out of joy and relief for how Claire had responded. Serah knew it couldn't have been easy for Claire to hear it, no matter how much restraint there was on this page, it wasn't what her sister would've been anxious to learn. But the gentle way she'd come back at her, full of understanding and concern… Serah's heart warmed on overflow after her sister.

_In any case, yes, I do hope you keep me filled in about Hawke, but please limit your explicit details as you start… moving forward with her. I was not a virgin before Fang, no, and I do not need to hear exactly how the Yun stud reacts to stimulation. I would like to hear how you're progressing, however, and you can write me whatever you feel or fear as you're going. I hope you do. And please inform Hawke she is now, more than before, in danger of castration if she hurts you or pushes too much._

Serah bit her lip to hold back the growing smile that threatened tears of happiness. Of course, Claire would have to get in a threat at the end of it, but the very placement was only making Serah happier for it. She'd accepted Hawke in her own way and Serah's heart practically floated for it.

_I miss you too, _Lightning continued in the next section._ Boot camp is much the same. Candice is still my roommate and my schedule hasn't changed. I've been promoted to a corporal-potential, which I'll likely receive on successful graduation from boot camp. I don't know where they plan to place me yet. I'm sorry to hear about the continued troubles of the family, but I'm glad Fang seems to be doing better. You can send her my regards if it doesn't aggravate anyone in the household. Please continue to keep me updated._

_You must've noticed the attached page I've left to Anya. If you can get it to her without angering Jaeger, please do, but if not, don't bother making more trouble for her. Please try to do everything you can to make it easier on her and thank you for trying to help, Serah._

_And no, you don't have to hate Summer or risk life and limb to give her the stink eye. I'm glad she came to talk to you after your fight. She's not completely terrible when she's not after your date. If you find yourself bonding with her, that's okay. I rather have you being friends with her anyway, especially if you're playing with her kids; she's protective over those little ones. It sounds like you're doing well over there, Serah, and I'm glad everybody's being nice. I appreciate you keeping me in the loop so much with your frequent and descriptive letters; thank you. I'm counting down the days too._

_Love you always,_

_Claire_

Serah held the letter to her chest, cherishing it and Lightning's words back to her. It might've seemed short compared to the giant Serah had sent her, but Serah knew it was nothing for lack of love. Lightning had always been more to the point and less fanatical; the parts she'd written over her and Hawke still especially touched Serah, and she wrote specifically with specific purpose to touch all bases with Serah, even if she left out the titillating details like what the heck she meant by 'no, she wasn't a virgin!'

Serah opened her eyes to smile at the picture of her and Claire she always kept on the desk. 3 and a half weeks left. 24 days. 576 hours 'till she saw Claire again, give or take on that last one. Serah was so excited for it, it made her heart race. She'd gone four and a half months without her –a little more than two if they counted by Yun months. Whichever the case, it'd been the longest time Serah had ever spent away from her sister. She wanted to hug Claire again. There was no way she would've made it without Hawke and Fang's family there. Claire had been so sweet in giving her blessing for Serah to leave with them. Bleak as it might seem now, Serah wasn't giving up the eventual hope of bringing Claire here. Even if it took years, Serah would manage to balance visitation between worlds equally. Their dream had been together, and Serah's stayed that way. She wasn't going to give up her sister.

Serah's eyes wandered back to the taped-shut slip on the desk that she hadn't opened. She didn't know what Claire had written inside, but the last news she'd relayed of Anya hadn't been positive. It'd only seemed to have gotten worse, too, when Jaeger and Anya had their big fight last week, though Anya seemed in happier spirits after it'd happened. Hawke said that was because of Fang, but she hadn't elaborated too much outside of 'seems like they'll be doing better soon.'

Of course, Jaeger had gone out hunting with Sky and Summer the next day, so if it was getting better, Serah couldn't really tell yet, but the prospect of Jaeger leaving actually did hold a happy side this time. She was still out, and thereby would be unable to make a big fuss over the letter portion to Anya. Serah took her current letter and folded it back up to rest under the picture frame. She grabbed up the secondary one to take downstairs.

"Serah?" Hawke called at the sound of her footsteps on the stairs. Serah gleamed with joy as she came around the edge of the banister to check on her sweetly.

"Hawke!" Serah threw herself from the forth step up, completely trusting Hawke, who reached out her arms to catch her.

"Heyy there— " Hawke started as she wrapped around her strong Flame with clinging arms and legs of happiness.

"She's accepted us!"

"What?" Hawke blanked.

Serah squeezed her confused, mighty Yun in clinging like a cub to her. "Claire's accepted my decision to move forward with you. She's allowing it!"

"We're a little late to wait on her permission, aren't we?" Serah laughed and hugged Hawke so tightly. She was kissing her next of natural instinct next and Hawke gripped her by the butt, held aloft and happy to be in such a position. "Can we celebrate?"

Serah grinned and licked her lips, happy eyes down on Hawke. "We can," Hawke moaned in happiness. "But! Let me give this to Anya first."

Hawke gave her a curious look. Serah held up the letter for her to see.

"Give me what?" A curious third walked around the living room to the banister. Serah blushed in Hawke's arms like that and loosened her grip all around her girlfriend to be set down. She still wasn't _entirely _used to people walking in on private moments, but she should've suspected Anya was in hearing distance of Hawke.

Serah climbed off her girlfriend as Hawke respectfully set her down. "I have something for you," Serah admitted to the mother and glanced around the corner just in case. "Are the kids…"

"They're outside with Fang and Vanille. Serah?" Anya looked with confused, cinched brows until Serah held out the small slip.

"Then I have this for you," Serah presented, "Claire asked me to give it to you."

Anya seemed startled as she looked down at the note and back up to Serah in confusion. "She wrote to me?"

"I keep her updated about the family, you know," Serah nodded. "She asks after you all the time." Anya was very quiet with eyes on the letter Serah couldn't read. "Do you want to sit down?" Serah offered, then added, "Hawke and I can leave if you want privacy."

"Let's sit," Anya finally breathed, eyes still on the letter, but slow to take it. Serah walked with it to the clean kitchen table and sat across from Anya, Hawke beside her to give the mother enough room. She placed the small letter on the table in front of Anya. Anya looked at it and lifted a hand to finger its side. Her eyes found Serah again. "What did you tell her?" Anya asked with concerned eyes. "You didn't worry her, I hope?"

"I told her Fang's doing better," Serah prefaced because she'd probably done exactly that in Anya's eyes, but Claire specifically wanted to know… "And I told her Sky and Vanille went to the herbalist she suggested. I told her about Hawke, of course, and the chat I had with Summer. I tell her about everything, including our talk and… how you've been." Anya looked at the envelope with sad eyes, knowing that hadn't been a good report when Serah had sent it. "I didn't read it," Serah added, "She addressed it to you in her letter."

"I'll make some tea," Hawke volunteered, standing with a small rub to Serah's back to give the two a small privacy. Serah smiled at her, then gave Anya a haphazard, shy look. She probably wasn't supposed to be there when Anya read it, but the mother didn't excuse her away and seemed to want her there for the moment, so Serah put her discomfort aside and gave her a brave smile.

With a last glance at her, Anya fingered the seal and broke it. She opened the small letter and started to read. Serah didn't know what her sister had written, but as Anya read, her troubled expression changed. First, it lifted, then became almost sad. Anya's eyes glistened as she reached the bottom of the paper, and Serah started to worry about what Lightning had written to make her so sad. Anya was biting her lip by the time she reached the bottom of the page. She closed her eyes by the end of it, seeming immensely affected.

"Serah," Anya almost whispered, she was so quiet. "Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Smilodon, 19**

**XXX**

When all the meat had been stripped, cleaned, and packaged away with the pelts lying out to air dry in the sun from their washings, Sky showered in the downstairs bathroom and mentally prepared herself for what was to come. An hour later, she still felt uneasy about it as she stood in front of Vanille's door and knocked.

"You can come in," Vanille called from the other side. Sky opened the door and startled her as Vanille glanced back from their dresser. "Sky!" Vanille turned around, closing the drawer as she leaned back against it to catch another breath from her fright.

"Sorry," Sky apologized meekly, a bit more discouraged by her reaction to seeing her. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay," Vanille breathed, seeming equally nervous as Sky felt inside about this. It seemed like she still needed a moment. "How was the hunt?"

"Successful." Sky volunteered for her comfort. She closed the door behind her as she gave Vanille the extra moment she craved. "We staked out some wolves at the springs, caught some ducks, fish, and bass that they wanted, then went out to the grasslands and found a small bear den with two of them. Lured them out, and got some good meat and pelts. The village was very happy with the catch; they let us keep one of the bears and a couple ducks too. We'll hand over the pelts when they're dry. Jaeger took a couple of scratches, but it was nothing Summer couldn't heal right there."

"That's good…" Vanille murmured.

"I managed to save you some flan too," Sky added as an afterthought of their lesser-fiends. "Got sticky as hell getting them, but with some of the village coming out to tote the meat back once we'd killed them, it freed us to catch a bit more again." Sky gave her best attempt at a smile, really wanting to talk with her, but she continued the small stuff for Vanille's benefit. Maybe Vanille wasn't ready to talk to her. Maybe she thought Sky had decided too quickly, which really hurt, if that was the case. Sky had been agonizing two weeks over this without her. "What about you?" Sky asked, "The kids were good?"

Vanille barely nodded, eyes casting to the ground, dampening Sky's meager hopes so thoroughly. A small, agonizing moment passed. Vanille wasn't ready for this. She might never be, Sky quivered, then quietly asked. "Do you want me to leave?"

She meant out the door, but by the way Vanille looked straight at her again in panic, it was clear she'd taken it another way. "You're going?" Vanille saw her hand on the door and still didn't comprehend it, fearful and scared-seeming.

"Not if you don't want me to." Sky let go of the door. Vanille looked up at her with large, round eyes of pain. Sky just wanted to hold her. Sky didn't know if she was waiting for her to speak or what, but she didn't seem able to herself, so Sky finally told her. "I want to be with you, Vanille. Babies or no, I don't want to break up with you." Vanille opened her mouth to speak, but now that she'd started, Sky wanted to get it all out before she could protest and break her hear irreparably. "I've thought about it," Sky continued, "This isn't a rush decision. These last two weeks have been hell for me and I don't want to spend another without you. Even without children… I'll still have you. That's what's most important to me, Vanille. I don't want to give up you."

"Sky," Vanille's eyes watered. "I don't want that either."

It meant something to hear it, but Sky still wasn't sure what Vanille intended between them yet. She looked at her little lover in the familiar room Sky had loved her in so many times before. Her beautiful Dia in that room. "Can we make up? We don't have to talk about children at all. I'm sorry that I hurt you by it. I just wanted to keep hoping, but now…" Sky ached to be back. "I just want to come home."

Vanille's arms wrapped around her before Sky even realized she'd crossed the room. "It's not your fault," Vanille choked, tears starting to stream down her tender cheeks. "I'm sorry, Sky. None of it is your fault." Vanille's voice caught on weeping. Then came the utterance. "I love you."

Sky would never let her go.

**XXX**

Summer paused before Fang's door. It wasn't customary to knock in a Yun's household—impossible in most for the soundproof rooms, but for Fang's circumstance and the unusual shyness of her body, they'd adopted the courtesy for her. Summer knocked a couple of times, still not used to the custom and called out. "Fang?"

"You can come in," Fang called back to her, prompting Summer to push the door in and find Fang at her desk with an unfolded letter being the only object on it. "Summer," Fang offered her a smile that felt fully genuine from her and stood politely. "Welcome back," Fang greeted sweetly. "How are you? How was the hunt with Sky and Dad?"

"It went well," Summer smiled back with equal warmth, "We stayed out a little longer because there was just the three of us, but the catch was good and the villagers are pleased. We'll be looking forward to a lot of bear on the menu these next few weeks."

"Bear's good. Maybe it'll fatten me up a little more."

Summer's lips quirked as she came further into the room. "With your arm getting better, I'd say we have a good chance of that."

"Well, it doesn't look _that _good yet…"

"Can I see?" Summer asked politely.

"Shouldn't you be resting after the hunt?" Fang asked, giving her a curious eye. "You must be tired and craving a real bed by now."

"I will rest," Summer claimed, seating herself on the edge of Fang's bed. "After I check up on your arm," then she added quickly before Fang could argue it, "It hardly makes sense to rest up and come to you right after to exhaust myself again." Fang's brow furrowed, "Besides, I haven't looked at it in over a week. You're overdue for a session."

"I don't want you to overexert and exhaust yourself…" Fang replied warily, not yet taking the seat beside her.

"We'll keep it short," Summer promised, "I'd just like to get a good look at it and give a once-over."

"Well…" Fang finally gave up and took the seat beside her. "As long as you keep it short. You should really be resting after that." Settling in beside her, Fang held out her bandaged arm, which Summer smiled appreciatively for. "You didn't get hurt while out, did you?" Fang asked, sweetly concerned.

"No more than a few sores and scrapes," Summer reported for her benefit, "Jaeger took the worst of it since Sky and I were both ranged, but it wasn't terribly bad for her either. I managed to patch her up pretty good."

"You used your ability to heal over the trip too?" Fang's kind eyes filled with concern. "You must be exhausted, Summer."

"I will after this," Summer promised again, reaching for the bandage to keep Fang from pausing her over exhaustion. In truth, Summer _was _tired, after a week out of thorough hunting, hauling back the kills, and cleaning up the carcasses when they'd gotten back, Summer had only managed to slip in a small shower to relax before she'd gone to find Fang. The woman had been on her mind throughout the trip; Summer wanted to make sure the missed days hadn't set their progress back. Even if she only healed Fang every fourth or fifth day, she liked to check on her at least every other.

This was the last thing she'd do before she'd rest, Summer promised herself.

"Have you kept up work outs with Hawke?"

"Every day," Fang nodded, then pouted with that adorable face she had, "She still picks me up, though."

Summer smiled as she pulled the wrap off and away. "You'll get there, Fang. Even if you're still small, you can tell you've made a lot of progress," Summer pulled the last of the wrap away from her damaged arm. "Your muscles aren't as they were yet, but they're developing. And once we get you closed up here…" Summer began picking small clumps of clumpweed from Fang's arm. "It'll come easier, Fang."

"I hope so," Fang shared in speculating over her arm. "How's it look, you think?"

When she'd plucked out all the clumpweed and thrown out the old with Fang's bandage, Summer gently took Fang's arm to take a closer look. She leaned in to examine the crevasse where they'd been working on re-growing skin layers with Summer's gifted ability.

Fang's arm was not well, not by any stretch of the imagination. With a tattoo so big that she'd completely cut out, then scratched over, the noticeable, awkwardly-cut square and unshapely bottom parts of the dragon were still dipping near the muscle, but she had a precious few protective layers of skin they'd carefully grown in the wound that kept it from being open. There were less than she'd like, but more than enough to be sure another split of Fang's skin wouldn't happen by accident again. Summer gently, experimentally thumbed over the skin-healed edges into Fang's injury. Fang took a quick breath, but the sheer fact that she wasn't screaming was a good sign to Summer. It meant enough skin had been built up at the bottom of her arm not to critically hurt or feel it when she touched the area. Even if progress was hard to see by eye, she and Fang had managed to build up enough protective skin layers over her arm to keep her from being super-sensitive to touch. Summer considered this a victory.

Pulling free her thumb from Fang's arm, she looked up at the woman with a reserved smile. "It's looking good, Fang. The layers we've worked on before I left over the muscle have held up, and I don't see any splits. How has it been feeling? Have you felt any tearing?"

"Not any tearing…" Fang specified, "It still hurts sometimes, though. On occasion."

"When you use it too much?" Fang nodded. Summer eased her, "That's normal. As long as you don't push it when it starts to hurt, you should be okay." Summer ran fingers up Fang's arm where she held it. While Fang didn't have anywhere near her normal strength and probably felt weak as a babe, Summer felt a certain firm line to her arm that thankfully wasn't the bone after all this time. That was good too. The minimal workouts she'd been doing with Hawke were making a difference, even if it seemed insignificant now, Fang needed it.

"Are you up for a short healing?" Summer asked first, mindful Fang needed to be rested enough for this too.

"I'll do a short one," Fang finally allowed, "But we're only doing one round. You really need to get some rest before we have a full session, Summer."

"Of course," Summer gently guided Fang back, "Lay down for me, Fang." Fang obeyed and offered a small smile up at her, which Summer returned pleasantly as she folded up the sleeve of Fang's shirt to keep from falling. "It may hurt again a little more than last time," Summer warned, "Because we've gone eight days without. Do you want something to bite down on?"

"I'll be okay," Fang assured, "It hasn't been that sharp since we've pulled away from the muscle."

Summer nodded, "It'll get easier and easier as we move outward more. We're just reweaving skin the closer to the surface we come." Summer sat at her side and calmed her exhausted mind as she picked up Fang's arm. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Summer closed her eyes. It was easier to settle and let the warm flood of power rise in her this way. A short time ago, this skill was unrefined, but the last two months with Fang had honed her healing attentions a bit more, given her some precision over the ability that she hadn't had. Summer silently reached out to the nature around them. They were in a house, but nature existed in everything. The light brush of air intensified against her cheek as Fang's breathing seemed to grow louder. Summer's senses tuning to the world, the energies of their beautiful planet gathered in every crevasse of this room, slowly seeping towards her from between the cracks and corners. If she opened her eyes, she might've seen the thin, streaming rivets of power no one else seemed to when she did this, but Summer had them perfectly envisioned in her mind anyway was they crept. Her body warmed when the first touched her and Summer exhaled a pent little breath as unearthly power and energy of the world around her flowed through her veins like a mighty, rippling effect just waiting for her direction. Summer trickled that rising power through her to direct at Fang.

A soft illumination lit up the darkness behind closed lids, and suddenly, Summer was in every strand of magic she wove. Descending to her broken parts, Summer's fingers automatically moved over Fang's injury, which she touched with a warm hand to spread the life channeling through her. Skin at the edges split as fibers wove tiny new threads, borrowing from Fang's own body the energy necessary to make this possible. Miniscule strands of skin, smaller than the eye could make out, wove and threaded in Fang's arm, joining them in a borrowed communion of energies that took on a life of its own when she did this. Summer couldn't say if it was pleasurable or all-consuming, the direction of this raw power swept her up so much. She could _feel _Fang in this power with strength and prowess she could find in their healings. It was why she knew Fang would come through this. Anyone with that fortitude of will and strength inside them, so raw and powerful of Gran Pulse's shared energies—

Something grabbed her hand in a stiff grip and pulled Summer's away from Fang's broken places. Without a place to direct it, Summer's attentions shattered in an instant as the flowing energy dispersed. It was an effort to open her eyes in confusion as her heart pounded away, heavy and loud in her chest. She only noticed then she'd started to break a sweat from it all. And there was Fang, gripping her hand and holding it away from her arm with a worried look on her face. "Looks like I had more energy than you this time," Fang said, and for a moment, Summer didn't even know what she was referencing. "You started to lean and tilt," Fang explained. "It looked like you were going to collapse. And you didn't seem to hear me when I said stop."

Summer blinked, immensely surprised. In truth, she hadn't heard Fang speaking at all that time. "You should be the one lying down," Fang went on, guiding her head back to a pillow as Summer gathered all her bearings around her, a bit dizzy from the rush. "Are you okay, Summer?"

"I'm fine," Summer breathed, though it came out more like a pant. She gave her heart another moment to rest as Fang fetched a glass of water. She took Fang in as the woman returned and her eyes flickered over to her arm. "How's your arm?" Summer asked. Fang followed her eyes and glanced back. Though it seemed bloody, Fang's arm always looked especially raw after these sessions. Her outer skin had to break to start reweaving, and that always bled.

"My arm's fine," Fang sat back on the bed and used a tissue she'd picked up to dab out the blood. She handed Summer the glass. "Drink some water."

Summer reached out for the glass with a small smile gracing her lips at the sweet offer. "You're not supposed to be taking care of me after this."

"I told you you were too tired for this," Fang chastised, but didn't sound angry. "You held that out for almost three minutes."

Summer sipped her water, which made her feel a little better, but her eyelids felt so heavy now. Lying on the pillow, barely able to lift her head, Summer closed her eyes to rest a long moment. The waterglass slid from her fingers eventually as Fang's footsteps padded to the bathroom and back again. "Fang," Summer called out, comforted when the bed shifted to Fang climbing back in it. She felt exhausted, but Summer didn't want to sleep. Not yet. "How was Anya? This past week; was she any better afterwards?" Summer cracked her eyes open a sliver to see Fang shaking her head.

"You need to stop worrying about us and get some rest, Summer."

"I am resting," Summer pointed out, indicating herself on the bed, then followed up in asking. "Please, Fang? I'd just like to talk."

Fang gave her a stubborn look, then finally said. "Mom's better. Dad wasn't home this last week, but they must've made up after the fight because she's been happier and wanting Dad to come back. I think Dad must've got it by now, I guess. I don't know; how'd she seem on the hunt?"

"She seemed normal," Summer confessed, glad to think things might be looking up for Fang's parents. Especially Anya; she didn't need all this stress, so quietly worried over Fang in her own way. "As close to her usual, cussing self I've seen in months, anyway. She might've even forgotten to worry about you once or twice while we hunted."

"Now I know you're exaggerating." Summer smiled faintly. Fang glanced up at the closed bedroom door a moment and lowered her voice. "Lightning sent her something," Fang told in a soft whisper, making Summer's eyebrow hike as she partially lifted to hear Fang.

"Oh?"

"Just a small letter," Fang shared, "I didn't see it, but Mom's seemed… a little more comforted after getting it. She came outside and talked to me about Lightning for a little bit after, which she usually doesn't. Between Dad and losing her, she doesn't bring her up in conversation much…"

"How is Lightning?" Summer asked, intrigued now that the conversation had naturally turned her way. That shouldn't be unexpected of Fang, but Summer had missed out on her updates the last week about Lightning. Fang might've talked to Serah about her a few times in-between. She only went to certain people with the subject. "Was that a letter you were writing to her when I came in?"

Fang shook her head. "A letter back from her, replying to mine last week."

"Is she well?"

"She sounds like it," Fang confessed, "Writes like it…"

"You don't sound convinced." Summer detected.

"I don't know," Fang admitted, "Maybe she is content, but…" Fang gave Summer sidelong, worried eyes. "I wasn't the only one who went through a mini hell when we were together. I really treated her bad, Summer. And Lightning just doesn't open up to anybody. Then, we've gone and taken Serah from her, practically the only other person she cares about. Lebreau's not even there for her or allowed into boot camp." Fang sighed, not seeming any better after her little ramble. "I know Lightning's stronger than me, but I don't think anyone's thatstrong, able to just continue on with no one after I abused her." Fang met her gaze with half pleading eyes. "It's doesn't seem fair. I get all this support and help from my family and friends, not even deserving it, and she's stuck over there by herself, dealing with all the aftermath…"

Seeing such trouble in Fang's kind eyes over it, Summer reached out a hand over Fang's. Fang had such a big heart, it was no wonder she'd worry over Lightning like this. It didn't make her concern any less sweet of well-founded, though. "What do you want to do, Fang?" Summer asked gently. "You want to visit her again?"

"I don't know," Fang rubbed the back of her neck, "That'd freak Dad out again, and I don't want to cause Mom more trouble when things are just getting better for them." Fang looked strained as her eyes lifted up over Summer. "I wish we could bring her here somehow."

Summer knew the equal impossibility of that feat, not only because Lightning refused to interfere, but for how extremely bad Jaeger would react too… and that discounted the opinions of the Yuns around them as well. For while they knew of Fang's situation like the rest of her family, they had a stubborn side against Cocoon like Jaeger. They knew of the shared faults of Lightning and Fang alike, but forgiving a Yun's naivety about Cocoon proved a lot easier to them than forgiving the Cocoon who'd orchestrated the whole mess, even with how it'd turn to victimize her too. They were at a bit of an impasse while Jaeger's hatred for Lightning soared, and Summer wasn't sure that'd ever entirely go away, even if she acknowledged Lightning had saved Fang's life, which she didn't.

"We'll come up with something, Fang," Summer tried to assure, already having had her own musings on this. Lightning couldn't be left out forever, and Summer agreed, even if the other woman had a stronger will than Fang, no one could tough it out alone that long, even without having suffered the way Lightning had through their ordeal. No one knew what'd happened better than Fang, and if Fang worried, they should be too. No matter for now; they'd have their first chance at this in five weeks.

Fang offered a sad smile, at a crossroads of not knowing, but wanting to believe there was something that could be done. "You should go to sleep now, Summer," Fang gently suggested. "You've been up too long with me already."

There was nothing else that could be said. Not yet, anyway, so Summer gently squeezed her hand under fingers and closed her eyes to rest. A wave of extreme sleepiness passed over her almost instantly and lulled her into a warm, safe state in Fang's bed. She drifted comfortably in that state of half-restful sleep where one could still control a measure of their dreams. In hers, soft fingers reached out to brush back stands of her hair that'd fallen over her cheek in slumber. Summer imagined they were Fang's, and the controllable tides of half-sleep made it so. She smiled softly and touched her, wrapping her fingers around Fang's still on the bed. A slight inhale broke her of it, flickering sleepy eyes open to see Fang's eyes on her, second hand lifted back to her hair. Fang blushed when her eyes opened and started to pull back her hand.

"I was just… y-your hair-"

Silently, Summer covered Fang's retreating hand and gave her a little smile. She closed her eyes again, rested comfortably across from the woman. "Good night, Fang."

**XXX**

**Smilodon, 26**

With the seasonal passing of another week flying by, Serah woke to the comfortable bulk she was now familiar with resting between her legs each morning. It was a simple reminder her Hawke was there and healthy each morning. Serah squeezed her thighs over that beast and rubbed. Hawke groaned. "You're gonna kill me," she squeezed, one hand snaking into the top of Serah's boxers that she'd been wearing of Hawke's when they went to bed of late.

"Ohhh!" Serah groaned as Hawke's fingers wasted no time in teasing her, tickling through her folds until she found Serah's button and rubbed her the way Serah loved. A second finger below dipped into her while Hawke's free hand started up her shirt to fondle a breast. "Triple attack!" Serah protested, all of a sudden, fully immersed. "That's cheating! I just squeezed!"

Hawke kissed the side of her neck with a fond smile and whispered hotly into her ear. "That's what you get for squeezing the Hawke." Hawke's tongue slid over the back of her lobe with an affectionate nibble that had Serah squirming, she was getting so hot, so fast.

"You better watch it," Serah warned, Hawke's magical fingers increasingly dancing through her tender spots, making her back to Hawke with full squirming starting up. "I'll lick you for this!"

"I'll lick you first," Hawke licked a spot on her neck and bit gently. Serah bucked a very little bit as two dipping fingers started to pump into her.

"Ohhh!" Serah groaned, straining in her strong arms, already wet enough to make Hawke's fingers slick. She curled to her Yun, loving the feeling of Hawke dipping into her with that big, bulging arousal resting between her thighs. Serah squeezed her legs together over her fingers and that lump, physically able to feel the pulsing of her pleasure as Hawke purposefully pressed to her sensitive walls in thrusting jabs. Her second hand, unhindered by actions of the first, rolled Serah's hardened nubs in such a fantastic way, she wished she had bigger breasts that Hawke could squeeze in her hands. The fantastic things Hawke could do with her hands! Serah still felt clumsy next to her, but she was learning and Hawke seemed to enjoy it when she touched her back. God, this woman was gloriously sinful. Serah had never imagined she could be _such _a lesbian, but with Hawke, God forbid if she ever had to go back to men.

"Hawke," Serah squirmed, turning her head against the pillow to look back. Hawke's lips caught hers at the awkward angle so perfectly tasty, it was a wonder Serah realize anything at all out of this rising, bubbling pleasure that would overtake her. Her heart raced as she squeezed over Hawke's fingers, so tight and clamping. She knew what was coming, but it excited her every time as if she didn't. Every time, the pleasure seemed better and more harnessed than the last. Serah would never get over this. She loved every second of sex with Hawke! "God," Serah moaned or whimpered and couldn't tell which, "God!"

Hawke lavished her chin with hot kisses and whispered. "Not God," she corrected, pumping so hard into Serah again. Serah clamped greedily and tried to suckle her in further, wanting Hawke to break her at her deepest crevasse so bad. "Just me."

Hawke squeezed and thrust and kissed all at the same time, Serah just exploded on exclamation of her name, wet heat pouring from her like a flowing river as her body squeezed so impossibly hard over her two slender fingers, Serah bucked in the tumult into ecstasy. Hawke's arms wound around her tight as she drifted, breath held for this incredible pleasure no one could replicate—and she knew, she had tried herself and completely understood Hawke's frustrations when she hadn't let her. Never again would she make her poor Yun go through pleasing herself, not when the touch of another brought such an incredible high. Serah wallowed in it in such glee.

"I've got you." Hawke whispered sweetly, kissing her cheek so fondly.

"Hawke," Serah practically purred, a mess of wet boxers and frazzled hair, flushed so perfectly. "You're so beautiful," Serah mumbled, dazed in bliss and happiness. It was actually hard not to say three little words she wanted to, but Serah reckoned they would be too early for Hawke. They had been dating for over five months now, and Serah was getting more and more anxious to share actual lovemaking with her perfect lady, but standards from Cocoon to Gran Pulse were different. Sex didn't mean everlasting love, and though they were both in it for the long haul, Serah wanted to respect Hawke's culture too and keep from frightening her too early. She had a feeling Yuns didn't say those words unless they were courting; Serah would wait for her Yun to catch up in cultural background and feelings. She'd say it at a time when they were both ready, and she wasn't just high on sexual happiness either. It was the least she could do for her perfect woman.

"You want some breakfast in bed?" Hawke purred to her, actually startling Serah's eyes to open. She started to turn to her lady.

"I have to do you first!" Serah protested, "You can't go down there with a boner!"

"Why not?" Hawke grinned, shamelessly proud of it and Serah's cheeks warmed as her arm settled around Serah's side with dancing light in her blue eyes. "They should know."

It was one thing to be aware of the fact that everyone in the house could hear her when she played with Hawke, another yet to stand before them about it. Serah was still getting used to the second, but she thought she'd come a good ways from shy meeping. "What if," Serah posed, "I take care of that _big, scary fellow,_" Hawke grinned at her wording. Serah had learned quickly to avoid nicks like 'little guy' –unless she wanted to see Hawke's adorable pouting, which was just as cute as her woman could be (and sometimes she still said it just to see her cute reactions), but her woman happy was equally as satisfying. Her woman, Serah reflected. She'd started doing that by complete accident, but it felt so right to call Hawke that in her head. _Hers_. "And then we grab some breakfast in bed."

"Will you stay in bed with me after?" Hawke pleaded, and Serah sensed a second motive.

"Oh, is that your aim?" Serah's eyes shone as she pulled her Yun in by the shirt and kissed her. Hawke's amazing hands went all around her instantly. When they parted, she looked into crystalline blue eyes with a big smile gracing her features. Her free hand went to the hem of Hawke's shirt. "What if," Serah posed, hand rising up the loose material. "I strip you down and have my way with you," she could physically feel Hawke squeeze in excitement and bit her lip at her own dirty talking, loving how free and open she could be like this with Hawke actually turned on by it. Serah wouldn't call herself a commanding figure in the bedroom by any means, but she loved it when Hawke responded to her when she was trying to be sexy. "You go down for our breakfast…"

"Naked?" Hawke asked gleefully.

Serah still pinkened, even though this was her intention all along. "Starkly naked," Serah assured, both embarrassed and a little thrilled about how Hawke would do this with no problems, all proud of them and commandingly beautiful and utterly unashamed, like she was bragging about them. It gave Serah thrills and chills both. "And then come back here for a little surprise."

"Surprise?" Hawke asked, practically jumping out her clothes immediately. "More playtime?"

Hawke's good mood was increasingly infectious. "Lots more playtime."

"Ooh!" Hawke kissed her and Serah chuckled through it as Hawke urged up her hand under her shirt farther and more fully. "Strip me!" she asked excitedly. Serah grinned and appeased her Yun happily.

**XXX**

Jaeger wrapped her arm around Anya tighter, hugging her mate from behind her in the bed. "She's been improving," Jaeger admitted, "The addiction seems long gone, at least."

"And she hasn't tried anything for weeks," Anya added. "You've seen her during workouts with Hawke. Her arm still limits her, but she's regaining strength."

"I saw, I saw," Jaeger agreed, holding her firmly as she measured out Fang's progress in her head.

"What were you thinking?" Anya asked, moving her hand down over Jaeger's on her stomach. She rubbed the back of Jaeger's hand.

"Well, it's been nine weeks since Fang's come outta her addiction, right?"

"It's been longer than that," Anya corrected. "The clumpweed incident happened in early Wyvern. On the second."

"Okay, so almost twelve weeks." Jaeger corrected. "It's been a fair while, Ahn. Fang's been making good progress, and the only thing holding her back is that damn arm. Maybe it's about time we reconsidered some Regen for her."

Anya fingers over her arm paused, "You think she's ready?"

"Her progress has been steady," Jaeger justified, "The only thing keeping her from getting back to normal is that arm now. Summer's sessions are great, and we'll continue them 'till she's healed, but it'll help her faster to have the constant effect of Regen slowly helping. We'll only give her a little, very sporadically at first, and see how her body takes to it. It'd be nice to have her a little more whole by the time of the Orca Festival. Fang's been left outta all the hunting of late. She'll wanna participate in that." Jaeger rubbed over Anya's hand. "Whatt'ya think?"

"I think she's ready for it," Anya seconded then added, "And I think it would do her good to hear it from you… that we trust her on a medicine because you think she can handle it."

Jaeger gruffed. Anya was right, of course. Since Fang's outburst to her a little over two weeks ago, Jaeger had started in conscious effort to talk to her a little more and not be as standoffish as Fang accused her of being. It'd helped, from what she could tell, in both Anya and Fang's demeanors. Anya seemed a little happier and more openly discussed their dealings with Fang while Fang seemed just a bit smarter than her dumb actions revealed before. The household seemed a bit more agreeable and less hectic now that her nights weren't so awkward with Anya. And Anya had started to mention to her about softening her exterior when it came to Fang. Jaeger still thought there was a degree of discretion she had to take with her daughter, but with a better-functioning relationship with Anya, things seemed to be going a little better with Fang too.

"I'll tell her." Jaeger conceded. Anya's warmth emanated from her with her smile. She twined their fingers from the back of Jaeger's hand and squeezed.

"I'm glad," she thanked simply and closed her eyes in resting.

"Ahn," Jaeger spoke after a moment, squeezing her mate around the belly. Intimacy was still a bit slow between them as of yet, but Jaeger loved her mate deeply and it'd been a long time since she'd shown that to Anya. They might've resumed naked sleeping like a good, normal couple should, but Jaeger knew Anya wanted more. And honestly, she wanted things to go back to normal too, if but for Fang's condition...

"Hmm?" Anya asked when Jaeger didn't immediately follow up.

"I wanna kiss you," Jaeger confessed meekly, at a little loss for how else to tell her right now, which was nothing normal for a Yun either to be so awkward about her bedding manners.

Anya's hand lifted from hers as she turned in Jaeger's arms to face her. Deep green eyes looked into Jaeger's light ones. Anya's fingers lightly brushed her cheek. "You can always kiss me," Anya said like it was the easiest thing in the world. "Don't be scared." Anya hovered, close to her face, waiting until Jaeger lowered her mouth to meet hers. Anxious lips met Anya's soft press and tasted her, savored her, and lingered to have her. Jaeger was probably more restless than Anya, but only because she wanted to do it right and make it nice for Anya. When she finally pulled back, Anya had a content look on her face, the kind of look every Yun should get when she was ready for a bit of relief. How long had it been since Fang had worn that look without fear? Would she ever again? Jaeger shook her head, still a bit frustrated with herself. These kinds of thoughts prevented her from pleasing her own mate. She glanced down, but Anya softly guided her eyes back up. "We don't have to push it," Anya rested her head to Jaeger's breast. "This is nice, Jaeger. Thank you." Jaeger wrapped her in protectively with an arm.

"I'm sorry," Jaeger apologized for her inadequacy.

"It's okay," Anya assured softly, "I have a hard time with it too, Jaeger, it's not just you." Anya cuddled to her warmly, twining her leg between Jaeger's to sit and rest there. Her foot curled around her lover's. It warmed Jaeger, but she couldn't shake her fears with Fang. It wasn't that easy. Should she even share them with her mate? Anya looked so peaceful in resting—

"Tell me," Anya asked, eyes still closed in resting, able to see into Jaeger so easily. "Please."

"I'm worried about her," Jaeger finally released with a pent up sigh. "Physically, she's healing great, but I don't know about psychological bullshit. Fang wasn't just physically hurt for nothin'. She did that to herself, you know… it's what keeps me up at night. What if our girl doesn't come out of it, Anya? Her accident with Vanille already had her feeling worthless as shit, then she goes off to Cocoon and gets raped." Jaeger's mind buzzed, stressed over just thinking about it. "I don't want Fang to be afraid of a femme's love for the rest of her life because of what that bitch did to her."

Anya squeezed her around the back, squeezed up to Jaeger's body too. "Being home is helping," Anya insisted gently. "Having her family and friends who love her, knowing that your trust is growing in her, it's all helping, Jaeger. I don't think our girl will be alone."

Jaeger rubbed her back, still not so sure about it.

"I'm not reading into it," Anya prefaced, still cozied against Jaeger's chest, "And you shouldn't either, but Fang is still able to find others attractive. We just need to be here to boost her spirit again."

Jaeger frowned. "Fang found someone attractive? Who?" Jaeger's fingernails bit into her palms as the immediate, awful pink-head came to mind at once.

"Summer."

Jaeger's building frustration melted away in an instant of confusion. "Summer?" Her brows cinched. "How do you know that? Did you see something?"

"A mother knows." Anya answered evasively. "Our girl needs her Yun pride back; we'll help her find it, Jaeger."

"What if we can't? What if she keeps up this 'unworthy to be loved' thing and doesn't let another femme in?"

"If she doesn't," Anya curled in her chest to Jaeger's breasts. "We will love her," Anya answered simply, but terribly sad, "And fill the void in our daughter."

Jaeger squeezed and wished she had more faith like Anya.


	10. Chapter 10

"Like this, Vanille?" Kierra asked, holding the hose over the garden to water it.

"That's right," Vanille nodded, "And once you've watered a spot for about a minute, move over to the next one so you get the whole area evenly."

"What happened to our sprinkler?"

"It broke for now," Vanille lamented. "Sky's insisted she'll fix it. I was going to give it to Hawke, but you know Uncle Sky."

"Ma," Rivera asked in a rare moment of being without Ember, who'd gone back to sleep for a little afternoon nap with her wild-found kitty friend. Vanille gave the little one her attention. "You and Dad are still gonna be mated, right?"

"Rivera, of course we are," Vanille crouched down by the child sitting on the wooden ledge around the garden to be eyelevel with her. "Sweetie, don't be scared. Your father and I just had a little fight. We made up last week, remember?"

"I know," Rivera admitted, avoiding her eyes with a troubled little expression. "But you haven't had sex with her since, Ma." Vanille's cheeks ripened a little bit. Rivera was a lot smarter than her age or appearance would've suggested, and she had wits as quick as a tiger. Situations surrounding her family didn't pass by her unnoticed. Any grown adult could recognize a bit of strain still persisting between her and Sky, and Rivera was growingly as smart as that already. "Happy couples have sex. And neither of you seem happy like you were before either." Rivera went on, seeming to have heavy thoughts on this. "I don't want you to leave Dad, Ma. Dad's been rejected too much already."

"Riv…" Kierra started, almost warning against it like they'd had this conversation before.

Vanille sat down next to Rivera on the ledge to equalize with her. The young one was half her height already. "Rivera," Vanille said, softspoken as she took the little one's hand. "I know things between me and Daddy haven't been perfect of late. Even made up, it's gonna take some time for us to get back to normal, but I'm not going to leave your father, Rivera. I love Sky, and I'm always going to."

"Told you," Kierra claimed, and Vanille waved her over from the garden too.

"Come here, you guys," Vanille summoned, and Kierra sat on Vanille's other side. She looked between both of them to address their young faces. "Did Mommy tell you all of what's going on between us?"

"She said some things." Rivera admitted, "We gleaned off the rest… I'm sorry about your broken baby-maker, Ma."

"Me too, Aunty." Kierra added, and Rivera supplied.

"Kierra cried for you when she found out." With such a painful thing to talk about to the children, Vanille nevertheless felt warmed and comforted by their sweetness. "I still don't want you to break up with Dad, though," Rivera looked her seriously in the face. "I can deal with not having more sisters. Dad's too worried they'd come out like me anyway." Vanille frowned, "But I don't want Dad's heart broken again. She gets too depressed when she's rejected."

"Rivera," Vanille backed her up a step, "What do you mean, 'Dad's worried they'd come out like you?' Your father loves you, Sweetie."

"Yeah, but I have her memory," Rivera filled in, speaking of her biological grandparent, "And that makes her nervous that I'll turn out like Grandna."

Vanille's frown deepened. "Crazy," Kierra filled in, drawing her eyes. Kierra glanced to Rivera in case she'd said too much, but Rivera didn't object or cast her a sharp look or anything, she just kept her head down. "Mom and Uncle Sky talked about it," Kierra supplied. "Rivera told me after. Uncle Sky worries over Rivera turning out like Great Aunt Luna, so she said maybe it was a good thing she couldn't have more children."

"Dad said it was a sign," Rivera corrected, sounding a little hurt by that. "Not a good thing."

Vanille was stricken. Sky had came to her decision and Vanille had followed Jaeger's advice and accepted her for it, she did. Sky had a big heart to choose her over future generations and that was that, they were healing with it, but she hadn't known this sad bit about Rivera. Sky always closed up so fast on the topic of her mother, Vanille hadn't even known she had Sky's perfect memory too. "Rivera," Vanille wrapped an arm around the little one and pulled her in for comfort. "Your father loves you, and nothing would make her prouder than to have another little daughter like you. Nothing, Sweetie."

Rivera's head remained hung. "But my ability…"

"Your memory doesn't make Sky love you any less," Vanille told her in full confidence of it. "It may make her worry more, but it doesn't diminish her love for you in any way. You caught Daddy on an off day saying that; she didn't mean she wouldn't have another you if she could, she was just trying to make the best of a bad situation. Don't you ever think you're the cause of your father's choice, Rivera," that was so wrong, it pinched Vanille's heart and stung. "She loves you more than anything, Sweetie."

Rivera leaned into Vanille's warm embrace with her head still tucked, enough for Vanille to kiss the top of her sweet little noggin of deep blue with shining flecks of her mother's amber. "You won't leave us and Dad, right, Ma?" Rivera asked meekly, thanking Vanille in her self-stubborn way, almost sniffling.

"I won't," Vanille promised as her heart blossomed out for Sky's child, who'd be partly hers by adoption when she mated Sky. The precious child made her crave one of her own so much, "I promise, Rivera," Vanille vowed, half pained and full of love in her heart at the same time. "I'm not going to leave you and Ember or Dad or any of you."

Kierra caught her eye from her other side with a tentative smile, and Vanille pulled her in too. "Come here, you." She hugged them both, "You girls are my favorite kids. Nothing's ever going to change that, okay?"

"Thanks, Aunt Vanille," Kierra said, and Rivera agreed if only by duck-snuggling against Vanille a little more.

"Vanille!"

Vanille looked up to see her ex and closest friend, Fang, approaching, and by the mere way she walked towards her, Vanille gave a little 'damnnn' –in her head, of course, there were children around—of admiring.

Since her dark lapse into withdrawal and misery when she lived in a very dark place in her head, Fang had blossomed out of it quite beautifully. She didn't shake anymore or show any other severe symptoms of her withdrawal from the addiction—no seizures, night sweats, howling for medication, or fevered hallucinations anymore— and she'd fleshed out quite a bit. Vanille knew she embarrassed she still was over her body, but compared to the utter twig Fang was when she'd come in, she'd gotten a whole lot healthier inbetween. No more gaunt features with skin clinging to bone that could be felt just by touching her anymore. No, this Fang was a bit thinner, but growing back into her body beautifully. She'd just need a little extra kick and would get back to her old self; as of now, Vanille saw her on her way to gorgeous again. She'd always loved Fang's features, most of all that puppy look she could give with her eyes. Vanille loved her.

"Fang," Vanille answered back with lifted spirits, happy to see her friend outside in the sunlight where she belonged most of the time. From the time they'd had since getting back to Gran Pulse, Fang's natural tan had developed again, and it was a healthy shade away from the pale, frail thing they'd first brought home from Cocoon.

The kids hugged at her sides started to pull away. Rivera gave Vanille a grateful smile as she did.

"We'll water the garden," Kierra said, standing and fetching Rivera by the arm to stand too. Vanille gave her a smile as she stood along with them to greet Fang and the children rushed off behind her to tend to her garden.

"What's this?" Fang complained as they scampered. "Uncle Fang shows up and we all run and hide to tease her?"

Kierra grinned guiltily. "We're got a garden to tend, Uncle!"

"Yes, yes, tending the garden instead of giving your favorite uncle a hug. I see how it is."

"Fang," Vanille smiled as she came up to Fang and wrapped her in a great big hug to warm her where the children had scampered. "You're looking so good."

Fang flushed adorably, not quite at the stage where she could believe that yet, but Vanille had meant it wholeheartedly. "I don't know that I'd say that…"

"I would," Vanille pulled back from her with a smile. "How are you, Fang?" Vanille asked, then followed up. "Does Anya need help in the kitchen?"

"Not that I know of," Fang settled her, "I just saw you outside with the kids, thought I'd pop out to see what you all were up to. Training up the children to be Dias, I see!"

Vanille blushed, "Kierra wanted to see," she explained, "And Summer must've gone out early for some trading because I haven't seen her since yesterday."

"She's not out."

"She's not?"

Fang shook her head, "She came in to heal me last night. Practically passed out from exhaustion afterwards. She's still sleeping in now."

"Sleeping in?" Vanille asked, befuddled with confusion. "But she wasn't with Ember when Ember went to nap with her new kitty."

"Oh, I meant in my room," Vanille's eyebrows went up, but before she could say anything, Fang continued on to ask. "And kitty? What kitty? When did Ember get a cat?"

"She found it yesterday," Vanille explained, "The little cub must've drifted from her mommy and was left… and what do you mean, Summer's in your room? Did she sleep there all night?"

"It wasn't serious. She just tired herself out healing me."

"In your room, in your bed? Did you sleep with her?" Vanille's eyes popped, and Fang chuckled. Fang hadn't had sex with her or anything, of course, but if she had slept in the same bed as Summer—that spoke loads of her comfort levels improving, which made Vanille extremely excited and happy for Fang.

"I miss talking to you, Vanille." Fang unexpectedly admitted. "We haven't talked in a long time."

No, they hadn't. Vanille missed it too. Even after their breakup, Fang had stayed with her, and they always talked. "Well, we've both been going through stuff…"

"Which should be reason for us to talk more," Fang pointed out, "Not less. I've been so smothered in my own shit, I haven't even asked you about Sky."

"You've got some pretty serious…" Vanille glanced at the kids, indicating, "_Stuff _to be smothered in, Fang. It's okay. I know you've been real hard at work trying to heal, Fang."

"That's no reason to ignore my best friend," Fang countered sweetly, then put a hand to her shoulder. "Van, how have things with Sky been?"

Vanille couldn't help it, her best friend was being such a sweetie, which was so much of Fang coming through, she hugged her again. Fang "Hoh!"ed at first like she'd taken her by surprise, but Vanille felt her hand descend onto her back a moment later to rub in comforting. "Let's sit, ya?" With Vanille still clinging, Fang sat backwards to the grass and only then did Vanille release to look at her with heartfelt eyes of love and compassion. "I missed talking to you too, Fang." Vanille admitted, opening the little tender spot in her heart over her best friend again.

"So?" Fang prompted, attentive and sweet as Vanille poured her heart out to Fang, who sidled next to her to hold her in her lap like she used to. Vanille told her everything from not sleeping with Sky yet to building doubts, but undoubtable love still flowing between them. She told Fang all about how hard it was getting and knew the children were probably eavesdropping, even if it was by accident, but didn't care ever so much because it felt so relieving to mention all her struggles like this to someone so close and friendly. Fang could be the perfect listener when she really needed to be at rare times, and this was one of those times she sat with Vanille and let her pour out her heart of struggles and difficulties, leaps and bounds, feats accomplished and those she and Sky were still trying at.

It wasn't perfect; Vanille probably still lived in the most turmoil she'd had of her life, excluding Fang, but she was trying and Sky made it as easy as she could on her. Vanille even leaked the quiet part of her she kept to herself, about being a little relieved that she hadn't burdened Fang or her family with this, to which Fang utterly balked and told Vanille about how much better she was of a person, too good for her, and she would've made the same choice Sky had if they'd still been together. Vanille didn't know if it was completely true, but it made her feel better and hug Fang, who's arms were warm around her when she hugged back, so safe. It felt like it used to and how it should be between them, and by the time she'd finished pouring out her heart, Vanille was exhausted, comforted, and warm in Fang's soothing lap the way she used to hold her when they were friends and lovers both, so careful and precious.

Fang held her in those warm arms and spoke to Vanille like she'd be okay. And when Fang said it, Vanille could believe in those words. Fang made her rest just a little easier than before.

"Thanks, Fang," Vanille said at the end of it all.

"For what? Letting this pent up all inside you?" Fang gave her a little squeeze. "I'm sorry I didn't come out earlier for you, Van."

"You have now," Vanille easily forgave because there was hardly anything _to _forgive. Fang might take the blame, but Vanille hardly faulted her for getting caught up in healing.

Footsteps on the patio lifted Fang's head to the sliding-glass backdoor where the always-fair and beautiful Summer stood with a light breeze carrying pillow-ruffled hair that still fluttered perfectly with her every step. If the Goddess walked among them, Vanille imagined she'd have a pretty damn big rival in that woman. And when she looked back to Fang again, it was to find her eyes still captured, following every trace of the otherworldly beauty Summer had and emanated. "I heard my children had ventured out here?"

"Summer," Fang breathed almost reverently before Vanille could at her entry, which always seemed to be epic. When Summer turned her way and smiled, Fang's brilliant viridians lit up in a way Vanille recognized from first-hand experience. "How did you sleep?" Fang asked, and Vanille was half-impressed she'd managed the question in her growing state of trance.

"Very restful. Thank you for sharing you bed for the night, Fang."

"Mommy!" Little Kierra started running over and latched as high as she could around Summer. "You didn't come to bed last night," Kierra complained, hugging her. "We didn't know where you went after Fang."

"I'm sorry, Kierra, Rivera," Summer apologized as the other child came to her too. "I got so tired after Fang's session, I fell asleep right there. I'm sorry for worrying you."

Kierra parted to look up at her mother and told, "Ember got a kitty, Mom."

"I saw," Summer smiled, patient as ever. "You'll have to help her name it."

"She's going to notice if you keep staring at her," Vanille whispered to Fang very quietly. "If she hasn't already…"

"Huh?" Fang asked, only then breaking of it to look at Vanille in confusion. "Staring, what?"

Vanille's head dropped to Fang's shoulder in defeat. If Summer hadn't noticed till that point, which was doubted, but a possibility, she certainly knew now with Fang's loud mouth. "Nevermind." And true enough, when Vanille's eyes fell back on Summer, there was a little half-knowing quirk to the edge of her lips. Vanille sighed in mock-defeat. "You're hopeless sometimes."

Fang's features drew together to pout. "What'd I do?" Smiling, Vanille hugged her.

**XXX**

"Fang!" Jaeger called from the back doorway, lifting Fang's head her way. "Getcher skinny little ass in here," Jaeger summoned, "It's time to fatten you up again."

"Food," Fang recognized as the familiar call and alerted the rest of them to it too. Vanille squeezed her hand in support sweetly and followed on in.

"That's a girl," Jaeger stood by the door until she came in and followed Fang through the family room and hall to the kitchen. "Anya and I got something to tell ya, midget. Sit down."

"I'm taller than you, Dad."

"Sit down an' shut up, smartass."

"Jaeger," Anya reprimanded as Summer came in with her two elder kids.

"Smart butt." Jaeger corrected, making Kierra giggle a bit.

"Grandpa curses like a Water Yun." Rivera voiced, making Anya give Jaeger another sharp look with a silent 'see what you did?' accusation attached.

"Come on, Sweeties," Summer chuckled, "Let's wash our hands in the bathroom before we eat."

"Do you need help with something, Anya?" Vanille offered, giving Fang a little space with Dad.

"What's going on, Dad?" Fang asked, watching everyone depart for the moment with a worrisome eye. "Did something happen?"

"It's nothing like that, Fang," Jaeger eased, or tried to anyway. Fang never felt really completely at ease with her father of late, even with her getting a little less thick-skulled after her outburst at Anya. "Ahn and I have been measuring your progress of late, as you know," Jaeger scratched at the back of her neck. "And you've cured up of your addictions pretty well. Haven't seen you try anything stupid in a little bit now, and no more quakes for months now, eh?"

"Yeah…" Fang asked, eyes furrowing as the wonder came. This almost sounded like a preface for a good thing.

"Well, I been tracking it," Jaeger admitted, "And keepin' a good eye on you. I like to think you're ready for somethin' that might help move along your healing an' getcha a little more ready for Orca fest."

"Something like what?" Fang sat completely oblivious to what her father was getting at.

"We thought it a bit too early before," Jaeger went on to tell, "But of late, you been better 'bout it, physically and in a better head space. So, we think you're ready for it. Anya and I have discussed it, and if you feel comfortable enough with it, we think you're ready for some Regen, Fang."

"Regen?" Fang's eyes widened at the name of the herb. Regen was a well-known curing agent in these parts. Not shared with Cocoon, it was Gran Pulse's herbal agent that could be beat to a paste or ground and served up. It was one of, if not, the most powerful healing agents on Gran Pulse and even rare enough there, but the component had to be used sparingly. Too much in even one serving could induce a high, and over just a few uses, it had addictive properties to it like a drug, which Fang had become addicted to in Cocoon. Fang hadn't heard of side effects happening like she'd had when she'd come off her dosage, Gran Pulse medicine wasn't harmful like that, but it was easy to fall prey to Regen's happier states. And Fang had been the worst of the offenders when it came to that in Cocoon. The airy feeling of lightness or not feeling at all, she'd groveled for that.

Regen would undoubtedly help speed healing along, as a curative agent, it gave constant, directed attention to ills and wounds, but the risk for addiction seemed so great, Fang had never even brought it up as an idea. The mere thought screamed Anya, who knew how especially hard she'd been working to recuperate for the festival time. "You think I'm ready, Mom?" Fang asked, leaning back in her chair to take in her mother. Even with a softer heart, this was so big of a thing to even suggest. It couldn't have come lightly at any cost.

"Don't look at me," Anya shook her head, "Your father knows medicine better. She came to me suggesting it." Fang blinked, eyes turning back on her dad in shock. "I agree with her that you can take it," Anya added more softly, "But she brought it up."

"Dad?" Fang asked, almost croaking.

"You been good going on twelve weeks, Fang. An' Anya and I both see how hard you've been workin' to get better. Ya beat the shakes and withdrawal, put on some muscle, been stickin' to the frustratin' training with Hawke. We're proud of you, kid. An' if you feel safe enough yourself to try it, you've got our support. Anya and I will measure out your dosages, slip it in your meals, so you don't have to worry none about the amount and— hey!" Jaeger barked as, unable to help herself, Fang slid across the table and hugged her.

"Dad…" Fang's heart wallowed in it. It was one thing to have Mom's trust and sympathies because she'd always had a softer side when it came to Fang, but for Dad, who'd been stubborn, moody, and critical of her this whole time, especially pertaining to Fang's judgment— it meant the world to her that her father would trust her with this, something so sensitive that she'd failed so epically at before… Fang had to hug her. She wouldn't say she didn't disserve Dad's lack of faith in her, but this grudging, insult-cracking affection felt so much more like Dad again, before she'd stopped trusting her. It overflowed in Fang.

"Yeah, yeah," Jaeger hesitated to hug her back the first few seconds, then gently raised her hands against Fang's back in her lap. "I love you, Fang," Jaeger said more seriously, "You should know that."

For the first time in months, Fang felt it.


	11. Chapter 11

**XXX**

**Smilodon, 32**

"You hear that?" Hawke asked, wrapping a slightly pink Serah in a towel like a gentleman before she went to fetch her own, naked. Serah listened, and faintly, with the water now shut off, she heard some rustling that might've been thumps, followed by a somewhat higher, distinctive outcry of, "Sky!"

"Sky and Vanille getting together?"

"No," Hawke chuckled, rubbing dry her magnificent body before she shamelessly used the same towel to wrap up Serah's hair for her, "I mean Fang groaning downstairs."

"My ears aren't that good," Serah reminded, drying off her body as well, which felt so little in the strength of Hawke's arms. "Anya must've made her something good again."

Hawke grinned, "Let's go tease her."

"Aww!" Serah laughed, despite herself. "Leave her be! It's good that she's gained an appetite like this with the Regen! We should encourage her to eat like she has the past few days."

"That's what I said! Let's tease!" Serah shook her head and her incorrigible girlfriend. She was playful with Fang altogether too much for the Yun's liking, even in the good spirit Hawke drove her crazy with. "Come on," Hawke encouraged, as much a corruptive agent as she was lighthearted. "She won't be a stick forever at this rate!"

"Don't forget to put clothes on!" Serah called after her beautiful little butt as Hawke ducked into their bedroom, connected to their bedroom by the door. The opposite one Hawke had disappeared into opened then to reveal little Rivera. Situated as the bathroom was, it was the shared space between both bedrooms.

"Hi, Serah," Rivera greeted casually, which Serah honestly preferred over being called 'lady' by the little ones. She crossed to the counter and took out her toothbrush without really minding her. "I'll leave in a second so you can continue having sex with Hawke. Got a bad taste in my mouth." Serah blushed, but gave herself credit for not running out pink all over, as would've been her reaction not so long ago. It just wasn't something she could easily adapt to, hearing such blatancy from a six-year-old.

"Um," Serah cleared her throat. Short of explaining to Rivera she and Hawke hadn't done it yet, which would lead to a bunch of questions about their play Serah wasn't ready to handle from a child not her own in this culture, Serah skipped all that conversation with a "It's okay, Rivera. We're done. Take your time." Serah started for _her _door to her and Hawke's room, blushing madly as she shut the door behind her. Still little ones without much knowledge of Cocoon besides what Sky told them, they didn't know much beyond Serah's 'weird ways' and were innocent to the cultural differences of their worlds. Still, Serah had a few bumps to get over before she could find that casualness from a child normal, but she gave herself props for handling that so well.

"You look ripe enough to be plucked!" Hawke's charming voice floated over, cute butt covered with boxer shorts as she came over to Serah.

"Rivera came in."

"I heard," Hawke rewarded her with a plucked kiss on the lips. "You did good, baby." Serah couldn't help but smile. Hawke's cheerful moods were always so infectious, even just coming off of something so embarrassing like that, "Come on," Hawke encouraged, taking her hand to lead her to the dresser for clothes. "It'll make you feel better to see Fang blushing."

"Is that how you're justifying it?" Serah laughed.

Hawke started rifling through the dresser clothes and Serah stepped back a moment to take in her girl in Hawke's boxer-clad glory. "You know, Hawke," Serah began, earning a flick of attention her way.

"You don't need a bra today, do you?"

Serah smiled faintly. A question that would seem so inappropriate and such a given in Cocoon sprung from genuine curiosity and confusion as to why she bothered. It was, as Hawke said, not like either of them really needed them anyway, though she had admitted a small kink in watching a girl take one off in the bedroom, the 'practical' use eluded her entirely.

"It holds up your boobs!" Serah had argued to Hawke's scoff.

"Cocoon boobs don't need to be held up! Whether you've got a more solid set or danglers, you should be happy with them. Most Yuns love danglers anyway; it usually means the femme's pregnant."

Blushing, Serah had tried to explain. "It's not the same in Cocoon, it's— some girls don't like their boobs… dangling."

"But why do _you _wear a bra?"

Serah had given up, both blushing and shaking her head at the cultural discrepancy. It really was another world in this amazing place. "No, I don't need one," Serah answered, and Hawke nodded.

"Good, because I might've forgotten to set the loads yesterday… but, you were saying?"

Serah shook her head again; it was the only thing she really could do with her cuddly, loveable Yun. Even Hawke's 'screw ups' made her smile. "We should go to the Springs again." Serah suggested.

"Sounds like fun," Hawke agreed amiably.

"But with Vanille and Sky or… Summer and her kids... or Fang? Maybe even Anya and Jaeger. Maybe."

Hawke glanced back at her. "This about the naked thing?"

"I want to be completely comfortable with it," Serah admitted, a bit shy.

"Sweetie," Hawke chided, lifting from the dresser drawer. "You've been doing great with it so far. You're naked with me all the time now." Serah bit her lip to keep from smiling too much, "You didn't try to cover up when Vanille walked in on us in the kitchen last night."

"We were a little busy…" Serah admitted. Hawke could be _very _distracting like that. Serah had barely noticed Vanille before she'd been coming last night.

"I think you're coming along with it," Hawke nodded up to the bathroom door she'd just closed behind her. "You didn't freak out just now."

"I know," Serah admitted, "But I still get a little shy when standing naked next to someone like Summer or Sky or Fang's parents or any of you. Even Vanille has upright boobs to be jealous of! I don't wanna be that girl who carries that around with her."

Hawke smiled, gentle and loving as she lifted a hand to Serah's cheek to cradle her. "We can go to the Springs today if you want. In fact, we should start something, Serah."

"Start what?"

"Starting this next upcoming week, we are going to strip you and keep you that way for everything you do in the house and yard."

"What?" Serah blushed softly, "I'll never leave the room."

"Maybe not at first," Hawke admitted, "But you'll get used to it faster. I'll do it with you so you're not alone too. We'll start out of the bedroom and work our way through the house doing everything naked. The family will be the only one to see you there, and then eventually, maybe some of the neighbors when you go out in the yard like so. It'll accustom you to your own nudity, and then make it not seem so strange when you walk out to see Jaeger lying naked in the grass. What do you think?"

"Well…" Serah bit her lip, toying with it. Hawke was right, it probably _would _help, but being naked for a whole week! Oh man, it was frightening. All these Yuns were so beautiful, and here she was, a skinny little Cocoon girl with barely any breasts or a body to match them. "You'll do it with me?"

"Of course!" Hawke claimed, "You seem to be more comfortable when I'm naked with you too anyway."

"Won't it bother Sky or Fang if we're walking around the house naked?"

"Pfft," Hawke waved off, "Fang doesn't care; she's just shy of herself now because she feels weak and scrawny against her old body. And Sky's a nudist too. She usually prefers it in private with Vanille, but she's seen my penis before, it won't scar her." Serah giggled a little, "Besides, she'll probably start staring at you more than I do."

"Hawke!" Serah laughed, playfully slapping her Yun's shoulder in reprimand. She kept her hand there, then smoothed out the skin. "Well… it sounds like a viable idea…"

Hawke grinned. Stroking back fingers along her cheek, Hawke's blue eyes gleamed like clear crystals at her. "I'm proud of you, Serah." Hearing it made Serah glow with a warm heart. "Come on," Hawke encouraged, "We'll start this tomorrow at the beginning of the week. And we can still go to the Springs today, but let's get something to eat if Fang hasn't swallowed it all whole already." She passed Serah a loose t-shirt of her own and kissed her sweetly. Serah pulled into clothes after her and started downstairs with Hawke, who held her hand. When they came around through the living room to the kitchen, they found Fang as expected, gobbling away her almost-empty plate at the table with Jaeger shaking her head and Summer beside her with a small smile.

"It's so good, Mom." Fang groaned through mouthfuls.

Jaeger glanced back at them as they entered with a sigh, "My daughter, folks."

Fang looked up from her plate with puppy eyes at her father. Summer chuckled. "Fang," Summer summoned her attention, and when Fang looked at her with a fleck of sauce on her cheek, Summer easily lifted her fingers to it and rubbed it off. "Don't eat too fast, Sweetie." Summer chided, mesmerizing Fang's eyes as she then licked the finger clean off. Fang watched with glossed eyes, and Serah wasn't the only one to notice. Hawke laughed.

"I'm surprised a twig like you can take in so much!"

Fang pouted and grumped, eyes tearing away from Summer to frown at her workout mentor and friend. "Just wait till I can flip you again."

"I'm making more," Anya announced from the cooking area of the kitchen behind them. "It'll be about twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?" Fang looked at her almost-empty plate in despair. Her eyes drifted to Jaeger's plate longingly, which was more than half-full of meat and rice.

"God dammit!" Jaeger growled, picking up her plate to shove in Fang's direction. "Have at it, you little Pint. I don't want you losing that damn appetite in another twenty minutes of waiting. Damn kid."

Fang looked like she was about to cry with the offerings, her eyes got so big and innocently thankful. "Daddy…"

"Don't gimme them puppy eyes when you just got what you wanted," Jaeger huffed, standing. "Jest eat up."

"Thanks, Dad."

"You can have mine too," Summer offered kindly with a laugh as she passed over her plate. "Eat while you can, Fang. I'll help Anya prepare the rest."

Fang's eyes filled with such love and happiness, it was almost comical and pretty much everyone observed her blushing as she thanked Summer too for her sweetness, eyes down on her plate of food in embarrassment and thanks.

"Don't worry about it, Fang," Hawke reassured companionably, rubbing her back as she passed. "You'll be a strong Yun again in no time if you keep eating like that, then you can make Summer blush for you instead!"

"Gonna flip you so bad…" Fang mumbled, miserable.

Serah loved her surrogate family.

**XXX**

**Smilodon, 36**

To say in the least, it'd taken Sky off guard when she'd first seen Serah naked outside her door three days ago, but she still resented the fruitless accusation that she'd been staring. It'd just taken her off guard, was all. Serah prancing about naked was undoubtedly Hawke's ingenious idea, but Sky didn't mind it so much as she disliked seeing Hawke flinging her bits about. Now _that _was something Sky forcibly had to deal with. She couldn't even punch the stupidly arrogant stud for the danger of her penis accidentally rubbing up to her while doing so, ugh.

As it was, Sky found her much easily to avoid when they were outside since Serah was still a bit shy to venture outdoors in her naked state. So, here she now sat with Vanille comfortably balanced in her lap, sitting in the grass with her courted as Vanille went over the cute things Rivera had done the other day when they went to play in the river.

"She's going to be a swimmer," Vanille claimed with fair confidence, "The way she was fishing through the stroking, you could just tell, that girl has fish in her veins. And Kierra tried to show her how to hold a spear to jab fish like Summer showed her, she was so cute jabbing at it and missing all these times, I just wanted to hug her."

"Vanille," Sky stroked her side warmly, taken with Vanille sitting there, talking to her about her half child like they were mated already and happy.

"Hmm?"

"Where to you want to live when we're mated?"

Vanille looked at her with her precious green eyes, brow furrowed, and asked. "Mind on something, honey?"

"We live with Fang now," Sky pointed out, "And Fang's family's wonderful; I know you're really close to her and we can stay that way if you want."

"But?" Vanille asked, sensing it, and Sky offered a half little apologetic smile of her guess in knowing.

"But you're really good with the kids," Sky pointed out with her tentative self. "I know we wanted our own… but if you like raising them, maybe we could follow around Summer until she settles down with a Yun and live close to her, you know? I spoke to her and Summer said she'd give me more time with them if you didn't want to follow her around, but… if you're growing that fond of them, it's an option, you know? What do you think?"

"You don't think Summer's going to stay around Fang?"

Sky shook her head, "I know they've been flirting- well, Summer's been flirting. Fang's been staring like an oblivious idiot- but I wouldn't discount the option that they may eventually chum with one another again— Summer's always sort of wanted one of Fang's— but Silver doesn't like Fang. Summer will probably stick around for a bit, but I doubt it'll be… you know, more than that."

"Summer's dad doesn't like Fang?" Vanille asked, seemingly surprised.

"She used to." Sky admitted, "But after the whole Cocoon debacle… she's right there, close friends with Jael, you know? And Jaeger's always had a grudge against Jael. I guess she didn't hear good things after."

"That's horrible," Vanille's little face crumpled up, all sad and stunned at once. "I didn't know Silver hated Fang! Oh my God, that's awful!"

"I don't know if 'hates' is the right word," Sky tried to temper for her, "Just, you know, doesn't find her a suitable mate for her daughter anymore…"

"That's still awful," Vanille sniffed a little, ducking her head against Sky's shoulder. "I was the one who brought Fang to Cocoon in the first place…"

"Hey, that wasn't your fault." Sky chastised. "Don't talk like it is. A lotta shit came together over that that has nothing to do with you." She rubbed Vanile's back again to soothe her. "Besides, Fang's getting better. She'll lose the reputation… eventually." Sky tried not to sound so doubtful of it as she said it, but she saw Vanille's lowered eyes when she did and tried to comfort her for them.

"Well," Vanille finally said, "I'll have to think about it with Summer. I'd love to be close to the kids, but… Fang's important too. Do you think she'll go back to Paddra, Sky?"

"Someday, yeah. We've got Serah now to hold us from it, but she and Hawke seem hopeful for it eventually."

"I want us to stay together."

"I do too, Vanille." Sky hugged her, sadly a tad more realistic than her cute little redhead. "Me too."

**Smilodon, 40**

Serah busied herself in the kitchen, preparing sandwiches for a hopefully nice trip to the springs. After the delay early last week for the wolf population that'd sprung out of the wilds and surprised them, she was looking forward to the return trip she'd take with Hawke and her friends to the place. It was a location she was actually _meant _to be naked in and it'd be a friendly change to see everyone else that way too. Hawke had been right about more than one thing with this experiment, though. Where Serah had been a blushing mess, especially after the first time she'd come down this way, it now almost seemed natural… Serah was rather enjoying cooking in the nude, knowing her Yun was watching and staring hungrily as she did so.

"Something's looking good," Hawke came up from behind her and complimented. "And I don't mean the sandwiches."

"Hawke," Serah turned her head to give her a quick kiss as Hawke's hands settled in around her hips comfortably. With the touch of her naked body to Serah's fleshy back, she shivered in a small sense of thrill and delight. Hawke always felt so right against her body. "Hey baby."

"Keep your girlfriend's dick away from my food!" Sky warned, growling from across the room in equal preparation with Vanille to go out with her, Hawke, Fang and Summer. Anya had seemed more than happy to stay back, even told them in the wake of Fang's bettering condition, she and Jaeger would be more than fine situated by themselves. Serah was happy for them; Anya needed this good news after so long living with the shadow of Fang's illness hanging over them.

"Let's infest Sky's food," Hawke suggested at a whisper to a shouted.

"HEY!"

Serah chuckled, "I'll keep her away," finishing up packaging one of the last, Serah turned in Hawke's arms and checked her penis to make sure she was behaving. "Good girl," Serah nodded, then Hawke's arms rushed around her, bodies flush against each other as she kissed the crevasse of Serah's neck with utter fondness.

"Let's be bad girls," Hawke encouraged.

"Serah!" Sky hollered back again, "Not by the food, dammit!"

"I'll save it!" A little redhead volunteered and whizzed by as Hawke leaned her to the counter. Serah groaned as Hawke's hard center pressed into her hip, already naked and so close, Serah could practically taste it, she wetted so greedily.

"Hawke," Serah hugged her tight, loving every crevasse and press of that perfect body to her own. "I'm so ready to have you."

Hawke leaned into her more, eager and wanting the same. "Can't we?" she pleaded, and Serah wanted nothing more than to grant her access and run with it. Hawke squeezed her around the middle. "How many more days?"

"Just a few," Serah answered because she had lost track in that minute too.

Hawke nodded, sober, and kissed her neck. "I want to wait 'till after Lightning too," Hawke whispered back, yearning. "It's just hard sometimes."

"I know," Serah reassured, knowing exactly how she felt about it. Her lust for Hawke was practically blinding. "I want you, Hawke…"

"Shh," Hawke leaned back out and took her hands. "You've come this far for me already, I can wait a little longer. I want you to be completely satisfied when we get there."

"I have no doubts about that."

"You two ready to go or are we leaving you here with Jaeger and Anya?" Sky called back again.

"We're coming!" Serah smiled and took her Yun's hand. "Do you want that done now or when we get there?"

"When we get there," Hawke assured. "Let the town see."

Serah walked with her Yun proudly.

**XXX**

"Ohh," Summer sighed in warm delight of the changed atmosphere. Even the air felt warmer and inviting in these caverns over the hotsprings that felt like heaven to the skin. Summer could feel the humidity seeping into her clothes already as they got heavier. "This place…"

"It's so warm," Fang agreed and grabbed at the hem of her shirt. Hawke and Serah, already naked, had gone ahead in without them, and Sky and Vanille busily stripped off in Sky's little corner where she could slip in without attention, but neither of those couples drew Summer's gaze like Fang currently was. As the other women took off her clothes, Summer couldn't help but give her a little glance in noticing how far Fang had come this past week.

Beautiful as always, for Summer always thought her striking, Fang had put on some healthier weight this past week and a half on Regen and her body showed it. Fang hadn't remained the same size since the beginning, of course, but the difference for this past time and before the Regen was striking. Seemingly so quickly, the progress of Fang's workouts with Hawke showed gracefully in her legs, toned and so long. Fang seemed anything but elegant, but Summer had a hard time finding other words to describe how… fine that muscled legs were on Fang, legs that led to and matched her ultimate femininity at the crux between them, which Summer took a good, healthy glimpse of. If she'd thought Fang's ill condition would've hampered that supremely fertile part of her, Summer would've judged herself wrong, even by the limp visage of her.

But enough of that! Because now Fang's stomach was showing and Summer had other things to focus on. The uplifting of her shirt was practically heavenly and only when Summer started measuring her breast growth by eye did she realize she was staring.

"Hawke!" Serah admonished sharply and slapped her girlfriend's shoulder, loud enough to draw almost everyone's eyes whereby Serah buried her face in Hawke's shoulder and Hawke whispered something quietly to her. Those two were always having so much fun together, Hawke had probably just gotten hard at an inopportune moment, was all. Shaking her head, Summer removed her own shirt and jeans, casting an eye at Fang to see if her good friend was watching, which indeed, she was. Summer dragged it out a little for her, amused by Fang's following eye of her every movement. At least Summer hadn't been the only one watching.

Taking off the last of her own clothing, Summer caught sight of that bandage on Fang's arm. "Fang," Summer summoned over, as they were the last two to enter the water. "How's your arm looking?" Summer asked as she started over. "You might not have to hold it above water today."

"Ooh, really?"

"Let's take a look," Sitting at the water's edge so she could dangle her feet in, Summer patted the spot beside her and Fang sat. Summer angled as she started to remove the band from Fang's arm to reveal familiar clumpweed, which served more as a placeholder now than actually serving any medical purpose. Summer saw Fang's arm the most with her healings, of course, so she had a relative idea of how good Fang's arm would look unveiled and she wasn't disappointed.

At worst, Fang's arm had a skin-shallow divot. It was wide, as her tattoo had been, but with Regen combined to Summer's normal healing, her recovery had sped even further with the weeks of work they'd been putting into it. The shallow, uneven skin on Fang's arm looked _healthy _in comparison to what Fang's arm had been, and Summer wouldn't be surprised if the rest of the damage was only cosmetic. "It looks great," Summer told her truthfully; it wasn't exactly back to normal yet, but with a couple more weeks of their combined effort and that of the Regen, Fang could be as good as new concerning the injury that'd almost forced the amputation of her arm. "How's it feel? Do you have any pain?"

"Not right now."

"Can you lift it?" Summer asked, pretty thrilled with what promising progress they'd made over these months.

"I brought it up the other day…" Fang admitted, bringing it up tentatively in testing measure. Summer waited, heart pattering away excitedly.

"Any pain?" she asked when Fang had reached their normal stop point of lifting and ventured a little higher beyond it.

"I don't think so… a bit tingly, but it's not hurting."

Summer barely kept from hugging her outright, she felt so uplifted. "I think you'll be fine in water, Fang."

Fang smiled back and Summer dropped her hand over Fang's. "Come, Fang," Summer encouraged, slipping into the water first. The hot liquid to her body felt so startlingly good, Summer released a little moan as it came up over her. Damn, she hadn't felt something so warm come over her in a long while. It felt amazing.

Fang slipped in behind her and let out a sigh of relief like Summer's. Summer turned as Fang experimentally lowered her arm into the water without trouble. Summer cast her a last smile before she ducked back her head to wet and wash her long hair in the water. "Do we still have the hair products hidden here?" Summer asked, lifting her head to look in their little cubby hole for them.

"I think so," Fang answered as she ventured over to check. "Taking a wash, Summer?"

"Mhmm; nothing better than these purified waters to bathe in." As the water recycled itself with the mineralized, clean underground water, these springs were perhaps the most naturally-purified waters on Gran Pulse, not even needing to utilize cleansing Aqua purifiers. Summer retrieved a soap bar from their cache, half full of soaping lotions and hair cleaners.

"Do you need any help?" Fang unexpectedly asked from behind her. Summer glanced over her shoulder with an amused and interested eyebrow at the question.

"With washing?"

Fang blushed, perhaps not having fully considered how the question sounded before she'd asked, but Summer was quite happy with the question. If Fang's hands could really be on her body— Goddess, it'd been so long…! but Summer shouldn't daydream of such things. She'd been terrible of late with that and Fang, thinking of her in ways she shouldn't. Summer had promised Fang and meant it— she didn't expect anything from her for helping, but heavens, was it so wrong to simply flirt or daydream? Summer hadn't been with a stud in… in… damn, had it been that incredibly long?

"Maybe my back," Summer smiled after another moment, easing Fang's cute embarrassment to keep her from apologizing for it.

Fang's cheeks were still a little pink as Summer returned to her shallower waters with the soap and handed it over, easing the teasing she'd inflicted on the poor thing, or at least she intended to. "Thank you," Summer said, turning for her. She brushed aside her hair off her shoulders so Fang could clearly get to her back.

Fang hesitated only a moment before Summer felt the press of the soap bar to her back. Fang began in small circles, fingers gentle, though Summer imagined she could still be so much stronger if she wanted to. She remembered Fang's strong hands; the way she could touch her, the things Fang could do… off-limits thoughts, Summer reminded. Now wasn't the time to remember those lovely things, with Fang's hands on her, one rubbing those small circles, the other stilly placed to steady her. Fang had such slender, long-reaching fingers…

"Summer…" Fang practically hummed to her. Summer closed her eyes as the soap lowered in those small circles.

"Yes?" Summer asked, realizing after a few seconds Fang hadn't continued her sentence.

"Your back…" Fang began, then cut the train of thought from her head. "Remember when I first saw you?"

"When was that?" Summer asked. She knew when she'd first seen Fang, but Fang hadn't told her of this.

"During the tournament, you were in the archery championships…" Fang told her slowly like the words were measured. And it didn't matter what she was saying because everything she was saying made her feel high. It was a good thing her bottom half was underwater because Fang would've smelled her otherwise. As it was, Summer was much too involved in this already. About to tell Fang to stop for personal reasons, she then felt the thumb of Fang's right hand groove into the curves of her back just right. The unexpected press took her so off guard, she couldn't have stopped that breathy release of moaning even if she wanted to. At her accidental encouragement, both Fang's fingers started to find those places in Summer's back that made her dizzy for more.

"I saw your back," Fang continued to say, and for all Summer knew, she was speaking the most beautiful poetry in the world—that's what she heard when Fang spoke to her right now. "The most beautiful back…" The soap slipped down her back, completely free of fingers as it dropped to the water and both Fang's hands went on uninhibited by anything, the most glorious handwork Summer had had in… such a long time, _ohh_.

"When you asked me to bed, to be your chum… Sky said… you wanted mine?"

"Yes," Summer admitted on a released breath, "I do."

"Do? Not did?" Summer couldn't have sensed a warning flag if she wanted to, for in that moment, Fang's delightfully large boner pressed against her leg and there was nothing Summer wanted more than to ease over and let Fang take her to kingdom come. Goddess, she wanted Fang so bad. When was the last time Fang had even had an erection? It felt too long.

Fang. Erection.

Summer turned on the dime, snapping back to herself as best she could given the circumstance. She looked from Fang's sweet, innocent green eyes down to her protruding arousal that the water barely touched the bottom of. She looked back to Fang's face, who had just started to lower her hands. "Fang?"

Fang lowered her eyes like she was ashamed. "I'm sorry…" Fang started to say, collapsing in on herself almost immediately.

"Fang," Summer said sharply without question, raising Fang's big eyes to her almost scared. Summer's voice softened a hundredfold. "Don't apologize for it," Summer told softly, then reached out and took Fang's hands. "Here," she said softly, tugging Fang back a few steps to deeper waters till she was covered down there. When Summer next caught her eye, Fang's watered.

"Fang," Summer called out with Fang biting her lip and Summer shhing her, Fang was suddenly in her arms and gripping her, shaking and clinging to her for support.

"I'm sorry," Fang repeated like she'd done something wrong.

"You didn't do anything wrong," Summer reassuringly told her, "No one's going to make you do anything, Fang. _I'm _sorry."

Fang only cried for a moment before she got ahold of herself enough to stop shaking. "It's not you," Fang finally said, her heart slowing to beat steady and strong against Summer's breast. "I'm just…" Fang didn't seem to have the words to finish her sentence again. Instead, she lifted her face from Summer's shoulder and brilliant, green eyes looked into Summer's and said. "Thanks for believing in me."


	12. Chapter 12

Lightning Farron rounded a corner on her way to the barracks' room. Tired, sweaty, and with the promise of Serah's return venture so close at hand only three days away, Lightning was getting anxious. Her last day of five months of boot camp seemed so distant, but it'd already come upon her. She'd already made arrangements with Lebreau, of course, Serah had to come in and stay with her somewhere after all, and what little Lightning had brought needed to be tucked away into a duffle bag. She had five hours left, but her last stint was over now. Lightning planned on a long shower, not sure what else she'd do in that time. Maybe re-read Serah's letters. She'd probably need the mental preparation for the change in scenery about to come by her.

Lightning had heard the transition back to normal life could be difficult for some, but she didn't expect much trouble herself. Boot camp had simply been another phase in her life, and Lightning looked forward to working as a field agent, even if she didn't venture out to Gran Pulse like she'd wanted, she could do some good in the lives of people here. It was infinitely better than waitressing for PSICOM. With active work, Lightning could keep busy and start to blend. Eventually, fans died out, the press had nothing on her anymore, and it'd all quiet back to normal again. Lightning wanted that to happen; a clean slate would be nice.

Lightning rounded the last corner to the hall that led to her bedroom when she heard it: a faint _thump _of something hitting the ground hard from within one of the rooms. She frowned at the noise and the accompanying, muffled movements that followed thereafter. One of the girls had probably dropped something. Lightning hoped it wasn't Candice. She didn't have many breakables or anything, but if she got in there and found her duffle on the ground, splayed open, Lightning wasn't going to be happy.

Approaching her door where the noise seemed to get louder and more frantic from, which was never a good sign, Lightning pushed open her door and locked up.

"A little going-away present for your girlfriend," Noel hissed, parked over Candice with an ugly sneer. He lifted his hand off her mouth only to catch both her hands and pin them while his filthy mouth pressed over hers, smothering Candice as she fought and tried to scream. Her pants were already pulled down to thighs and his were starting to as he kept her down with his knees.

For one small second, Candice' panic-stricken, suffocating eyes found her. Lightning wasn't even sure if she had the mind to recognize her, the fear in those eyes spoke so overwhelmingly, but in that moment gray eyes caught her, all Lightning saw was Fang.

Rage, fear, and panic flooded her in the most sudden, uncontrollable adrenaline rush Lightning had ever experienced in her life. No longer did Candice lay paralyzed under her filthy male captor, it was just Fang: Fang about to be raped by that godless, soulless banshee all over again. The transformation from Noel to Jihl was instantaneous. Lightning saw red and reacted. The fact that Jihl was screaming in a gathering pool of blood with her face swelling and broken ten different ways didn't matter for an instant. Lightning had to protect her. She had to stop this from ever happening again. When her fist became too raw to punch, Lightning desperately grasped the dresser drawer with numb fingers and pulled the combat knife they kept there from its sheath. Fang wouldn't stop screaming. Lightning would bring her peace that'd last forever this time. Raising the knife, she cut straight through the balls and skewered Jihl's limp penis to the ground.

Only after she had every reassurance her captor wouldn't get up did Lightning sit back on her legs and look into her face. She stared there, panting, hands and face bloodied with the spitback that sprinkled down her whole front. As she took in the red and swelling face before her, gradually the blonde hair started to recede and darken. She could barely recognize the mess of a face before her, but though feminine in nature, it wasn't female. Lightning's eyes dropped to the small, pinched penis under the knife. That wasn't Jihl's. Lightning stared and took in breaths as Noel's figure materialized to her in Jihl's place.

"…Lightning?" A scared, small and tiny voice asked, lifting her head in an instant to her in a way that startled and scared her attacked roommate. Candice fell back onto her butt in fright and stared at Lightning with wide, fragile eyes. She took half a minute to get ahold of herself and find the words. "…Did you kill him?"

Lightning couldn't have answered if she known. Her eyes drifted back to Noel. Someone knocked on the door behind them then cautiously opened it. "Hey, we heard— " Her words cut off in a gasp of fright and shock at the scene. "SOMEBODY CALL THE MEDICS!" she yelled down the hall, and then there were hands on Lightning's shoulders asking a thousand questions from 'what happened?' and 'are you okay?' to 'Christ!' and 'What did you do?' Beyond that, Lightning couldn't hear any more and didn't process as people swooped in around to pull up her, Candice, and Noel up. All she could do was look at Noel, and in her deepest of twisted desires in this world, she only hated the fact that it wasn't Jihl.

**XXX**

"What do you mean, you can't go?" Serah's heart fluttered in her chest—and not in a good way. She felt faint, she was so upset.

"It's the smithy," If anyone could look more downtrodden of guilt and unhappiness, Serah didn't know it, but it didn't make her any less upset in this moment. "They've got a straight order of adamantite, 200 pounds, and the woman needs her weapons customized and crafted this week. The head Teff's overloaded with the order. She's specifically asked me to stay all week to help her fill it, and after they've built on the house additions for us…" Hawke looked physically ill. "I feel terrible, Serah. I don't know what to do…"

Serah had a horrible, sinking feeling in stomach too. This was the week she was supposed to re-introduce Hawke to Claire as her girlfriend. The two already knew each other, of course, but Serah hadn't really been dating Hawke then and it hadn't been this serious for either of them. She'd really been looking forward to bringing Hawke to Claire as hers and showing her sister how good Hawke was to her. Serah's heart was breaking, but even as her eyes started to water and she buried her face in Hawke's arm, she agreed. "They need you." Serah clung to her like she was her last thread. "You… you have to stay."

"Serah…" Hawke's arms wrapped around her, helpless in this as the tears started to fall. "I'm so sorry." Hawke apologized and Serah knew she meant it, just thinking about how long it could be until they saw Claire again really hurt. Almost half a year had passed this last time! And Claire had been in bootcamp, true, but Serah didn't want to wait another minute to bring Hawke to Claire, let alone weeks or months more… It hurt so much, Serah clung to her body, seeking support. It all seemed silly, but they even waited to have sex… Serah had wanted them to come together again first.

"They don't have no one else?" Jaeger asked gruffly, already knowing and unsatisfied with the answer. Hawke wouldn't have come to them with this if she could've found someone else.

"Well, Serah can't go to Cocoon alone." Anya interjected then, "I don't like the thought of you being by yourself when you go there. I know Lightning has plans for the trip, but she won't be home _all _the time. I don't want you sitting alone at the house."

"Lebreau will be there," Serah volunteered, equally unhappy in this disquieting moment.

"Lebreau owns a restaurant now, doesn't she?"

"Well," Serah admitted, "Equal parts restaurant and bar, we can say…"

Anya shook her head from behind the counter. "I don't like it. You can't sit at home for hours while they're at work…" Fang bit her lip at the table, seeming to want to say something, but one glance at Jaeger had her wising up to keep quiet. "Maybe Sky could go with you…" Anya suggested, picking from few.

"Sky hates Cocoon." Serah reminded, though Anya didn't really need it. "And I don't want to run in the middle of her and Vanille…"

"Did someone say my name?" Sky asked, coming down the stairs with Summer in her wake.

"Can I— " Fang started, but earned that sharp look from Jaeger right off the bat again.

"Don't even think about it, Kid. You're just gettin' better. There's no way in hell you're returning to that hellhole. Especially alone."

"I'd be with Serah!" Fang protested.

"The answer's no."

"Are we talking about Cocoon?" Summer asked, coming through the living room to lean against the wall.

"Yeah, we're talking." Jaeger growled. "Hawke can't go anymore."

"What?" Summer's eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"Why not?" Sky asked, already sounding defensive.

"Work shit at the smithy," Jaeger sighed in supreme aggravation. "Maybe I oughta take you, Serah."

"No!" Came the simultaneous protest from Fang and Anya, more controlled from the latter's side. Anya repeated again after with a calm front. "Jaeger, no."

"It was jus' a suggestion," Jaeger growled. "Who else ya gonna send up there?"

"Actually," Summer spoke up again, drawing eyes. "I would like to go."

"WHAT?!" Fang barked to attention alongside Sky, who's protective tendencies sky-rocketed at the suggestion.

"Summer, _no_."

"There's no way in hell you're going there alone!" Fang echoed her father's earlier wishes.

"I'm going." Serah reminded, "I'd be going with her."

"I've already thought about this earlier," Summer told them all, "Before Hawke couldn't go. Hawke or no, I'm going to Cocoon."

"If Summer's going, I'm going!" Fang announced loudly, "I'm not letting her go alone!"

"Orr I'm invisible," Serah concluded, "I don't count as a person. Okay, then." Hawke rubbed her arm.

"Neither of you twits are going," Jaeger growled, "You see what happens to gorgeous girls in that world? Might as well paint a 'I'M FROM GRAN PULSE' target sign on your heads. Your father would kill me, Summer. You're not going."

Sky's eyebrows drew together at Jaeger's words. "Didn't you just suggest that _I _go earlier?"

"Daddy, don't go!" a little voice suddenly shouted, drawing everyone's gaze up to the little ones who came from the stairs. Ember raced to Sky's legs and threw herself at Dad in hugging, teary eyed and almost crying. "I don't want you to go, Daddy." Ember said with a big sniffle. "Please stay."

"I'm not going anywhere, Sweetie." Sky assured the little one, stooping to rub her little back assuringly. "It's Mommy we have to look out for. Go tell Mommy we don't want her going to the badlands either."

Little Ember's eyes grew big and watered again. "Mommy's going?"

"Sky," Summer sighed.

"Mommy, don't go!" Ember cried in fright, running to her second parent all afraid now. "There's monsters with hairy faces who'll suck you dry to a stick like Fang! Please don't go, Mommy! Please!"

Summer gave Sky an exasperated look, but Sky held up her hands in innocence. "I didn't tell them that."

Jaeger sunk a little lower in her chair.

"Mom, I don't want you to go either." Kierra sniffed from near Vanille, clinging a bit to Rivera, who looked equally troubled, but not yet tearful. "None of us do."

"I'm sorry," Vanille apologized, looking out to Summer with a guilty wince. "I tried to keep them upstairs, but they overheard and ran down…"

"It's okay, Vanille," Summer forgave and crouched down to stroke Ember out of her tears, as she openly cried now. "Your oversight was not intentional," she gave Sky a direct look. "Unlike some." Sky scooted discreetly closer to Vanille as Summer waved her little ones over. "Children, come here."

Kierra and Rivera came closer to her, Kierra rubbing at her eyes to keep her emotions from overtaking her little heart. "Mom…"

"Sweeties, listen to me, okay?" Summer spoke once she had them all gathered. She kept a soothing hand around Ember's back, who wouldn't unstick from her to hear as she sniffled. Summer put a hand on Kierra's shoulder, who seemed the second-most scared, and she assured Rivera too by catching her eye first. "I know you've heard scary things about Cocoon from Daddy and Great Uncle Jaeger."

"Huh?" Jaeger jumped, having not escaped her notice as she thought.

"And it's not all flowery," Summer told them truthfully, "I won't like to you, my girls. Bad stuff happens there on occasion— bad stuff can happen anywhere we are— but Mommy's not going alone, babies. I'm taking Serah with me, and where we're going, Lightning's going to be there."

"But Serah can't fight, Mom," Kierra sniffed, "What if you need to fight the bad guys?"

"I don't think it'll come to that," Summer reassured, massaging Kierra's arm and Ember's back. "But if it does, Lightning's a fighter too. She'd fight with me, Sweetie. And with both of us, we couldn't be overcome."

"But Mom…" Rivera protested meekly. "Lightning's…" Rivera hesitated and glanced up, specifically at Serah really nervously, then back to Mom real quick after. "Isn't Lightning one of them… a bad guy?"

Summer sighed again, and if Serah didn't know her better, it might've sounded like defeat. But not with Summer, it wasn't. The next glance in Sky's direction scared _her _for how powerful those eyes were. Serah could tell by them alone; Sky was getting a talking-to later. And there'd be yelling for sure. "Sweeties," Summer addressed her children again. "I'm going to come upstairs and we'll have a long talk about this, okay? I promise I won't decide anything for sure until we've spoken, but us grown-ups need to a conversation. Will you girls wait for me just a little longer up there?"

"Mom…"

"Please, baby," Summer lifted a hand to Kierra's cheek and cradled it. "I promise I'll be right upstairs."

Kierra leaned into her free arm for a hug. "Okay, Mom," Kierra agreed, trying to be the big kid and eldest, even scared as she was. She brought Rivera in on the hug like a good sister, then encouraged her sisters along. "Come on, guys. Ember, let's go." Ember sniffed, but Kierra took her hand and started away with Rivera, who glanced back like she'd did something wrong to Serah. Serah wanted to tell her she wasn't mad, but now wasn't the time. Rivera and the rest of the kids disappeared upstairs.

Sky squawked before the hellish fury could start. "I didn't tell her that!"

"You _know _she can overhear!" Summer rose up with all the wrath of a scorned woman. "She remembers _everything_ you say!"

"Don't yell at her," Jaeger sighed. "I said it."

"Those are _my children_, Jaeger!" Summer's fury turned on the dime.

"You're _poisoning_ the minds of _my _children with your hate. Now, I have to go up there and explain the complete misassumption to my children that they heard from a grown up! I won't have it, Jaeger! Not to _my _kids. If you must badmouth Lightning, next time make sure you're not within hearing distance of them!"

Jaeger seemed to have sunk very low in her seat and had her head bowed down to stare at the table. "I'm sorry, Summer. It won't happen again." Serah's eyes billowed like marshmallows. Summer was an incredible force to be reckoned with when angry, she was seeing, but she couldn't have heard that right. Jaeger couldn't have just apologized for badmouthing concerning Claire! It… didn't seem physically possible in her nature to do that! "I'll apologize to the kids if you want me to."

"Thank you," Summer drew in a breath; if anyone had the crazy assumption that she'd finished, they'd have been sadly mistaken. "And as for the rest of you," Serah almost went ridged with attention. "Serah needs a companion, and I'm going to Cocoon whether or not you can decide on someone else coming along or not."

"Dad— "

"No." Jaeger cut off, all signs of her earlier submission to Summer flipped off like a switch. "You're not going, Fang."

Fang's face started to melt, but Jaeger turned her head from it stubbornly. "Don't gimme them puppy eyes! Ain't gonna work, sweetie." Fang's puppy eyes turned next on mommy, who sighed out long and tired.

"Please stop giving me a heart attack and listen to your father, Fang."

Jaeger crossed her arms over her chest with the most smug, satisfied grin splitting her face as she leaned back in her chair. Fang mewled.

**XXX**

Pulling the items from her dresser – the personables, not the clothes, Lightning slowly sorted through her small cache of items she'd brought with her instead of leaving at Lebreau's. Her current pause had stopped on a picture. It was one Serah had taken; one of her and Fang after a training session sitting in the grass, exhausted. It wasn't particularly romantic or reminiscent of a particular instance, but Lightning couldn't help but stop when she'd seen it of Fang smiling in happier days… happy like she seemed in the letters she shared with Serah and Fang now. Lightning kind of missed seeing that goofy smile sometimes.

"Lightning?"

Lightning turned at the sound of her voice to see Candice in the doorway, hesitating to come in. Lightning faced her, but didn't advance in case she'd frighten the poor girl. She sadly knew better in this kind of circumstance. Especially after her outburst…

"Hey," Lightning greeted simply.

"Hey…" Candice echoed back, sounding small and scared. "Um," She swallowed hard. "I don't want this to come out wrong, but… thanks for… you know… saving me from Noel."

It surprised Lightning a little, but she supposed she might've known. "You don't have to thank me for that." Lightning shook her head, "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been attacked at all."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Candice asked softly. "I aggravate Noel all the time. Asked for it, almost."

Lightning's brow darkened considerably. "No one asks for that kind of thing." When Candice seemed frightened again, Lightning lowered her head and made an effort to soften her tone. "Did he hurt you before I arrived?"

Candice shook her head. "You caught the worst of it." She bit her lip again, then shyly asked. "Lightning?"

"Yes?" Lightning asked, glancing back at the picture.

"It might not be my place…" Candice began, hesitating to say. "You've always been quiet about stuff before, so you don't have to answer, but…"

Lightning knew the question before the words touched her lips. "I rather we don't talk about it."

"Okay," Candice agreed softly, quick to comply. "Just… I'm sorry I put you through that again, Lightning. I… I want you to know how grateful I am. Not just for tonight, but you've always sorta stood up for me while I've been here. I'm… thank you for that."

Lightning nodded it off, eyes returning to her picture again. "What're you going to do now?" she asked, Candice' gratefulness an unusual, squirmy thing.

"I think I'm leaving the camp," Candice admitted. "I guess military life wasn't meant for me anyway; I like my creature comforts too much." Lightning agreed; Candice wasn't suited for it particularly, she enjoyed the softer side of things. "I just wanna get back to my family; might move in with Mom for a bit again." Lightning was glad to hear that too; the family setting would do good for Candice, hopefully as much as it'd done for Fang. "What about you?" Candice asked. "Are you staying on or…?"

"I don't know yet," Lightning admitted. "They're putting me under a review board to see if I'm competent to stay on."

"They told me they'd have a hearing over you. I'm gonna be there to speak up for your defense."

"I'm sure it'll help my case. Thank you."

"You really are a soldier, you know?" Lightning hiked an eyebrow at the response, but Candice looked a bit more comfortable now, though her pale-as-sheet pallor hadn't changed much since the attack. "Is that a picture of her?" Candice asked, then nodded to the frame in Lightning's hands. "Of Fang?"

Lightning softened just a little because of what Candice had been through already today. She didn't need another cold shoulder now, so Lightning turned to the photo and admitted softly. "Yeah. It's Fang."

Light footfalls touched the floor as Candice pulled a little closer to admire it over Lightning's shoulder. "She's beautiful, you know?"

Lightning smiled softly with a quiet, small laugh. "I know."

Candice smiled back. "You guys are still pretty close… with your letters and all."

"You haven't seen our letters," Lightning pointed out. "It could be hate mail back and forth."

"I doubt that." Candice bit her lip, "You're not much of a sharer, but… I hope things work out for you, Lightning. With Fang and your sister and whatever else you write about… I'm rooting for you."

**Smilodon, 42**

**XXX**

"Oh!" Summer blurted in surprise, grabbing the sides of her seat as the train started to move. "Oh, this is…"

Serah double-checked her companion. As a beginning train rider, she wasn't going to put car sickness off the table, and Summer already looked surprised, glancing about in wonder. "You doing okay?" Serah asked, eyeing her turning head.

"Yes, this is incredible." Summer unexpectedly claimed. Sitting across the table from her at the in the luxurious, comfortable seating of the train car, Summer moved her hands onto the table as she spotted their large bay window-side. "Serah look!" Summer directed, eyes captive as the scenery of Gran Pulse's open lands passed her by. They'd be skipping worlds soon enough.

Situated on the western-most side of Gran Pulse where the Brell resided as a growing capital of Cocoon-trading industry and one of the only train stations on Gran Pulse, Serah wasn't really surprised Summer had never been on a luxury train before. She must've taken one of the transport vehicles before because her astonished wonder with this was all new. "Do you like it?" Serah asked, a little charmed by her wonder with the ride.

"It's incredible," Summer expressed, watching them rise higher and higher along the tracks as they began to head for the sky.

"You didn't seem to enjoy the taxi van," Serah recalled, remembering the Yun lurch when they'd taken off to Cocoon in an Air-Van last time.

"Oh, that was terrible," Summer remembered, eyes staying on the window as they soared through clouds to the sky. "All lurchy and awful. Poor Sky; I hope the GC used these 'trains' to transport her. They're so much smoother; it's like riding a wyvern in this one."

Serah smiled and settled back in her seat. "I'm glad you like it better," she confessed, "We've got a bit of a ride ahead of us to Bodhum. If you get tired or lightheaded, they've got beds to lie down in too."

"Beds?" Summer asked, attention turning to her at the mention.

"Yeah," Serah nodded, "Claire bought us First Class. Although, she thought you were Hawke, so she only rented one bed," which Serah loved her for with everything inside her small body; knowingly, Claire had only purchased them one bed. Claire knew she'd slept with Hawke for this long, of course, but the gesture of only buying one for both of them really meant something to her. It wasn't the kind of thing that would carelessly pass Claire's notice either. "But we can switch off… or I can lie here. I'm little enough to fit across the seat."

"Nonsense," Summer tossed off, "Lightning paid for all this; I'm sure the bed is big enough to share."

Serah blushed a little; Summer was probably used to sleeping by little bodies with her three kids sharing her room, but it still made her a bit shy to think about that. Summer spread her hands out over the table that spanned out before them, either not noticing or not making a big deal out of Serah's embarrassment. She seemed fascinated. "What's this Bodhum you speak of? Lightning doesn't live in Eden anymore?"

"Not since," Serah shook her head. "Lebreau quit under PSICOM a few days after Claire left. She moved out of the city to a quieter setting, and Lebreau's basically the only real friend Lightning has, so she went to GC camp on the broader outskirts there. Bodhum has a GC presence in it, though, so I think Claire intends on settling near Lebreau over there. It makes practical sense too, though, I suppose; Lebreau held onto all our stuff that we didn't sell or leave in the apartment."

"I see," Summer nodded, "A quieter place?"

"You know, smaller. Sort of like Roe is compared to Paddra."

"Ahh," Summer understood— sort of, "A quaint little population."

"Yes, like that."

Summer's eyes strayed to the window again, so taken with the passing clouds. Her fascination really was quite endearing to watch with such a curiosity in those eyes. Well, Summer wasn't the only one that was curious. Considering the reason of their last visit, the gloom surrounding it, and an all-around bad experience, Serah wondered why she wanted to come back so bad. She'd really pushed for it and wouldn't hear anything else; and Serah hadn't forgotten the somewhat-confusing mention Summer had made before when she wrote the letter, about scoring her points… but she couldn't have known that long ago that she'd be coming to Cocoon. The decision had seemed so last-moment.

"Summer?" Serah worked up the courage to ask, drawing the Yun's watchful attention from the window. "Why'd you want to go back to Cocoon with me so much? Is there… something you want to say to Claire or…?"

"You don't need to look so worried, Serah. It's nothing malevolent." Summer chuckled, sounding friendly. "I have a few reasons I want to visit. One is curiosity, I'll admit. And I know how much Lightning means to Fang. She speaks of her so frequently; Fang can't come herself, so I'd like to step in her stead."

"But it's gotta be more than that, right?" Serah asked, "You left your girls for this," Serah pointed out the extents of Summer's sacrifice, "It's more than checking up on Claire, isn't it?"

Summer smiled and said, "You're a smart girl, Serah. Yes, there's a little more than just seeing how Lightning's doing. I want to see her for myself, and if I'm right, I think I have a better chance than most in getting Lightning to come to Gran Pulse."

Serah's jaw unhinged in shock for a few seconds before she blurted, "You want Claire to come to Gran Pulse?"

"Of course," Summer told her plainly with a small hint of a smile that might've been amusement. "She has unfinished business with Fang, and staying away's not helping either of them. Lightning needs to come down for a visit—regularly, optimally, but I'll settle for convincing her to just one for now. Once Jaeger's settled, perhaps she'll come again for more, but it's just the first visit that needs to happen soon enough. Fang would benefit from it."

"You think so?" Serah asked, caught completely off guard with her unexpected frankness— and the answer itself.

"I do," Summer nodded, "It's hard for Fang not being able to see Lightning with Jaeger constantly blaming her. Lightning coming to visit may even ease Jaeger— over time— which would give Fang more peace of mind too. And I don't know about your sister's full situation, Serah, so excuse me if it's presumptuous, but Lightning probably needs to see Fang too. I don't see anyone coming out of their situation unblemished, and she doesn't have the same support network as Fang. It would do her good too, I think."

"Wow…" Serah didn't know exactly what to say to that. Summer wanted to help Fang and Claire in the process, even if it meant bringing back someone she'd hated only a few months ago more than anyone. She thought she could bring Claire to Gran Pulse. That was… amazing. "You think Jaeger would allow it?"

"Jaeger's stubborn, but she'll come around eventually."

She said it with such ease like she knew it for a fact; Serah wondered how she could feel so confident about it already with what little progress Jaeger had shown as of yet. Still, since the other day when Summer had given her a talking to… "What you said the other day," Serah admitted, "When you told off Jaeger: that was pretty amazing itself; she really looked ashamed when you told her off."

Summer smiled faintly. "I'm afraid you caught me in a spell there; I was just worried about my kids overhearing. You know how Rivera is with that. I'm sorry about her question, by the way."

"It's okay," Serah easily forgave; "It wasn't really her fault."

Summer nodded, "All the same; I've since spoken to them about it, and they won't talk like that of her again."

"Thanks," Serah murmured gratefully, then more quietly asked. "Summer, why are you doing all this? Is it… do you still want to be with Fang?"

Summer smiled, but it was a little sad. "I'm not going to be with Fang, Serah."

"You're not?"

Summer shook her head, "I don't think so, no."

"But you were flirting!" Serah objected, remembering the instances, "And Fang liked it. You weren't… trying to get her attention?"

"Maybe I was," Summer admitted softly, "But I shouldn't have been. Watching Fang heal back up is just difficult sometimes. She's so beautiful, you know?"

"It sounds like you like her…" Serah pointed out, not understanding, and Summer smiled a little more, but it was still sad.

"I do like her," Summer claimed, only confusing Serah further. "In another world, I might've laid a claim to Fang sooner, kept her from getting into all this trouble that she has."

"But…?" Serah asked, sensing some other side to this. "Fang could get better, you know."

"Oh, I have no doubts she will." Summer assured, "Fang will bounce back eventually; it's just, so much has happened with her, so many misfortune circumstances and accidents… my father has taken a disliking of her. She doesn't approve of Fang as fathering material anymore. She's not very happy with me for my involvement already; even if Fang was better and ready for it, I wouldn't anger her further by trying to initiate relationship."

It struck Serah so strange that a woman as strong and independent as Summer seemed took that as such a verdict, but Serah knew how important family was to Yuns. It probably wasn't such a curious thing. But then… "Why have you helped Fang and us as much as you have if your father doesn't approve?" Serah asked, "I mean, you're _really _helping all of us, and if your dad doesn't even approve…"

Summer looked at her with those eyes that seemed so misty and unreadable—at least to Serah, they were. "Some things have to be made right before we can move on in our lives," Summer responded ominously. "I need to repair a few of them before that can happen."

Serah didn't fully understand, but she didn't press either. Summer had her reasons, it seemed, and Serah didn't know the other woman enough to pry into them.

"Excuse me," A new voice interrupted, and Serah glanced to the wide hallway to see a nicely dressed service-lady with a cart. "My name is Ann. Might I interest either of you in a drink and some peanuts while the lunch entrée is prepared for you?"

Summer's eyes got wide. She looked to Serah for guidance who almost laughed, her curious reaction seemed so funny. "Yes, please," Serah smiled. "Ohh, it's been so long since I've had a soda. I'd like a Pepsi, please. Summer, you can ask for something to drink if you like."

Summer looked at her in quiet seriousness, glancing at the woman and back to Serah. "What's a soda-Pepsi?"

Serah laughed. "It's probably too sweet for you. It might even give me a stomach ache, it's been so long. You might want to order a water or milk or a wine or something."

"They have wine?"

"We have anything you might like, Madam." The service girl answered politely. Summer glanced at Serah for confirmation.

"What will we trade for it?"

Serah laughed outright.

"We get this a lot with Gran Pulse customers," Ann explained patiently, "The food and drinks are free, Madam. It comes with First Class."

"Oh…" Summer seemed so mystified.

"How about a white wine?" Ann asked kindly, "We have Chardonnay, Chateau d'Yquem, Riesling; Chardonnay probably has the most similar taste you're used to, but our Sauvignon Blanc probably has the most punch if you're looking for something strong."

"Hmm," Summer considered, "That Chardonnay, then, I'll try it."

"Of course, Madam," she pulled out a blue can of Pepsi and took out a glass to pour it. As soon as she started to, Summer's eyes billowed and she flattened back in her luxury seat.

"Oh! It fizzes!" Serah had to bite her lip to keep from laughing outright as Summer leaned in to examine the little bubbles from carbonation. "Fascinating."

Ann just shook her head with a small smile. "I'll be back in a moment with your wine. Have some peanuts while you wait," she put down a little plastic package and Summer was back to gasping as she picked up the airtight package. "How do they seal such a thing?"

And by it, Serah knew this was going to be fun.


	13. Chapter 13

"Thanks for all this," Lightning nodded to the door of the spare bedroom she'd just left where Lebreau had kept their things from the apartment that neither Lightning or Serah had taken. "I should have it out of here soon enough when I find an apartment."

"It's been no problem, Light." Lebreau assured, "I've just kept it all shoved away in the closet anyway, and now you're here to use it, so that's good." Lebreau gave her a small smile. "You all ready to see little sis again?"

"I think so."

"What're you going to tell her about Noel?" Lebreau asked bluntly, and Lightning appreciated the lack of pretense with it. Lebreau was always frank about everything; Lightning could count on her for that.

"The truth." Lightning admitted, through lying to Serah about things. She'd learned her lesson about that. "I screwed up again. It's kind of getting redundant by now anyway."

"I wouldn't call it a screw up, Light. I doubt Candice does. He would've raped her if you hadn't been there."

"He wouldn't have been there." Lightning corrected. It was another misfortune of circumstance that she and her presence had manifested. Lightning was almost used to situations blowing up around her by now; that's why it was best to keep Serah happy in Gran Pulse. Much as Lightning wanted her sister to live with her in an apartment, Serah would be happier away from her, safe with Hawke and Fang. Lightning loved her too much to be selfish about this anymore. Lightning had steeled her resolve months ago.

"You're too hard on yourself, Light. You're not responsible for every misfortune. Even if his grudge was against you, he's still a rapist. If it hadn't been Candice, it could've been some other strong-willed woman who pissed him off, and then who would've saved her?" Lightning snorted a little and Lebreau huffed in exasperation. "Besides, when'd it ever become a bad thing to castrate a rapist? They should pay you a service fee for that shit."

Lightning's lips twitched in a little smile. Her outburst against Noel resulting in the castration of a man really had little business being smiled about, it really indicated something seriously wrong, but Lightning couldn't help but appreciate the efforts of her friend. "Come on, Lebreau. They'll be getting off the train soon."

"With Hawke and her sweet little butt that's almost as glorious as yours?"

Lightning could only just shake her head at it anymore.

**XXX**

"You any bit nervous about this?" Lebreau asked, checking with a glance as they waited at the station under a small, pitched roofing spot for the train to arrive.

"It's just Serah," Lightning said, although if she were being completely honest, she'd admit to a to a little anxiety. She hadn't seen Serah in five months. Her sister had a girlfriend now that she was _almost _fucking. So much could have changed in half a year. Lightning stood calm, but her heart pattered away fast. Would Serah look any different after her time away? How different could she be after living with the Yuns so long? She seemed very happy there…

Lightning took in a breath and almost held it when she saw the train in the far distance on floating tracks. God, this was it. Lightning braced and hoped she was ready. Lebreau checked over again and offered Lightning the most comforting smile she could manage. "She's missed you too, Light, don't worry."

Lightning gave her an appreciative look back, but inside, her heart pumped faster as the train drew near. Half a year! Half of Lightning hoped to see the same exact little sister, but by her letters alone, Serah was already maturing; Lightning was both proud and scared. She hoped Serah hadn't changed that much. Serah had such an innocence about her, it seemed almost sinful if that had twisted and gone away. And then the train bay doors were opening, and the station flooded with tourists, male and female alike who'd gone to visit the outermost outreaches of Gran Pulse where they were allowed to visit the outer settlements, and Lightning could barely breathe. She scanned the crowd expertly, but saw no pink. Dammit, Serah, she had to get out here now so Lightning could see her!

Pink, pink, "Whoa," Lebreau echoed her stunned, blanking thoughts exactly at first sight of the amber gleams. Lightning had to blink herself when she saw the startling golden glints in mahogany hair that seemed too silken to be real. The head that turned as the recognized hair flipped back the other way revealed an equally gorgeous being behind that rich hair, one that Lightning knew, but couldn't fathom for the moment why she'd be standing there. "You didn't tell me Summer was coming!" Lebreau accused, jaw dropping at the sight of the beauty standing there amidst the tourists, looking so out of place in her jeans and the small, tight… bra-like tops Fang liked to wear to training.

"Didn't know…" Lightning mumbled, eyes staying on Summer in hopes of catching the tall amazon's eyes to draw her over. Serah might be too short to see in the crowd or lagging behind with Hawke, but Lightning's wouldn't leave Summer's startling beauty. The woman had a way of stepping into a crowd and making everyone else seem pitiable in comparison. Fang had had that quality too. These Yun women were just painfully gorgeous, and damn, Lightning didn't even want to take her eyes off her. Shit, Fang had made her so startlingly gay; this was so ridiculous.

"Sweetie," Lebreau commented at a glance, "You're ogling her more than I am."

Lightning frowned and finally managed to tear her eyes away from the lovely creature for just a second to her amused best friend with the biggest smirk she'd seen since joining boot camp. "Shut up," Lightning muttered. "Fucking Yuns."

"She's looking this way now."

Lightning lifted her head to flag her down at the mention, which earned her a snicker from her Lebreau, which she ignored without heeding.

Summer caught her eye from across the landing and smiled her way.

"Damn," Lebreau swore when she did so, "Doesn't it just give you goosebumps when she does that? I feel treated."

"She can probably hear you, you know."

"Oh, fuck," Lebreau remembered, "They have that supersonic hearing."

"Yeah…" Lightning spotted pink. Her heart skipped a beat as her little sister emerged in the crowd, only carrying a knapsack in comparison to Summer's heavy-looking duffle, but as soon as Lightning saw her, all her attention diverted. Pretty as the girl might be, nothing and no one mattered as much as her emerging sister did then. Lightning saw her little pink head approaching and forgot all else.

"Claire!" Serah shouted through the meandering cluster of people standing around. She fought through the waves of them and Lightning started for her too. Shit-slow people were moved around or encouraged aside as Lightning made her way to the middle of the slow-moving cluster for Serah. And in another instant, Serah's arms wrapped around her and Lightning grabbed and held Serah to her body in the middle of the crowd of bodies. Lightning saw no one but her.

"Serah,"

"Claire, I missed you," Serah clung to her body, unmoved by passing people around them if she clung enough to Lightning. "I missed you so much, Claire."

Lightning couldn't think in that moment; she just held Serah in close.

"Hey, you two," Lebreau's familiar voice echoed after some time, "The station's emptying out. Think we can continue the hug-fest at home?"

Lightning finally released her, though not entirely willingly. Serah looked at her with gray, star-struck eyes, seeming as happy as Lightning was to see her. "Hey," Serah greeted with a nervous smile.

"You look taller," Lightning said only because it seemed to be the words that came to her lips first, because Serah did seem taller now.

"Probably just the time away," Serah said with a little chuckle. "I doubt I'm hitting a growth spurt now."

Lightning half smiled and didn't know what to say to her, so she asked. "Is that your only bag?"

Serah nodded, "I have clothes here, I figured, so I packed light."

"I see…"

"Is it just me," Lebreau asked, "Or are we down one strapping, hot Yun?"

"Oh, Claire!" Serah realized, "I didn't get a chance to write you or tell you on the phone, it was so last minute. Hawke had to stay back because of work, and it wasn't because she was scared or anything, we really wanted to come together, but they needed her at the smithy last minute. Serah nodded back to her traveling companion, "Summer came with me instead."

"I noticed," Lightning's eyes flicked to her again in greeting.

"Hello Lightning," Summer greeted, "Lebreau; I hope my intrusion isn't too upsetting."

"Not at all," Lebreau claimed, "You are welcome into my house any time you want to come, please!"

"Thank you," Summer thanked with a smile, "That's very kind of you."

Lightning almost snorted.

"I'm sorry Hawke couldn't come," Lightning told Serah, as she imagined she'd be a little upset about it. Lightning was too, actually. She'd wanted to have that mildly threatening chat with Hawke. "But thank you for coming with her, Summer. I wouldn't have wanted her to come alone."

"Of course," Summer nodded, agreeing. "I wouldn't have approved either of that."

"Well," Lebreau nodded to the parking lot's direction. "Should we get going? I still haven't gotten my hug yet after you threw yourself at big sis for ten minutes, Little Farron."

"Oh!" Serah squeaked, then went to Lebreau for it, "I'm sorry, Lebreau," she hugged her tight and squeezed. "I missed you too."

"Yeah, yeah," Lebreau rubbed her back once and let go, "Go cling to your sister again. She realy liked it there," Lebreau glanced up to Summer with an inviting smile. "And a hug for the newcomer! It's Cocoon custom and all."

Lightning rolled her eyes and grabbed Lebreau's hand before she could awkwardly embrace Summer. "Let's go," She directed with a tug, with Serah under her arm. "That way."

Lebreau pouted. "But- custom!"

Lightning just shook her head sometimes.

**XXX**

"We expected Hawke was coming," Lightning explained, "We were going to let you room with her, but since Summer's here…"

"Are you sure I won't be intruding on your privacy?" Serah asked like a little sweetheart. "I can shack up in the living room or with Summer if you want your space." Now, there was an image; Serah lying next to Summer in bed didn't process easily.

"I've been five months without you or any friend contact and you think I want my space?"

Serah smiled shyly and removed her knapsack. "I suppose not." She looked around the room in wonder, "It feels so different here already."

"You're getting used to life with the Yuns," Lightning pointed out, both a little saddened and happy for Serah by it. Her sister should get used to their kind of life; that was good, it meant she liked it. "Must be pretty nice there."

"It is, Claire," Serah agreed, glancing back at her as she took off her knapsack. "…you'd really like it."

Lightning ignored the twinge in her stomach. "I like it here," she pointed out, "Cocoon's got toasters, tvs…"

"Have you even seen a toaster or television in the last five months? You don't even like television that much."

"Maybe I'll start watching."

Serah shook her head with a fond smile. "You're being ridiculous, Claire. I really wish you'd come."

"I will sometime." Lightning promised without commitment, walking over to the side of her, and kissed the top of Serah's head –or near the top, anyway. Her lips only came up to the side of her head. "Do you need help unpacking?"

"There's not much," Serah admitted, showing her the small bag. "Summer brought more. Maybe we should help her."

"God knows what Lebreau's doing to that effect," Lightning agreed, but glanced at Serah and paused her. "Serah, before we do that…"

Serah's head lifted at once from her bag. "What's wrong?"

Lightning's eyebrows furrowed. "What makes you think something's wrong?"

"You're using trouble-voice," Serah pointed out, glancing behind her. "And the door is closed. You're about to tell me something bad, aren't you?"

"I'm using troubled-voice." Lightning repeated, paused on that. Serah was right; Lightning planned on sharing 'something bad' but it disturbed her that Serah could tell so easily by a tone of her voice. They hadn't even seen each other these last five months, and Serah knew right off the bat.

"I haven't forgotten your trouble-voice," Serah knowingly stated, "What's wrong, Claire? What happened?"

Lightning breathed out a small sigh, not sure if this made it easier or harder yet. "Well, you're right, I suppose." Serah's eyes got big and round, but before she could ask again, Lightning hushed her. "Shh, it's not horrible… sort of. Just—sit down for a second."

Serah pushed her bag back and sat. Lightning sat beside her and breathed in another mini sigh. "Claire…"

"Something happened at work," Lightning admitted bluntly. "Do you remember Candice, my roommate I mentioned in my letters?"

Serah nodded, looking on with sad eyes. "Did something happen to her?"

"She was almost raped." Serah's eyes billowed like cushions. "I walked in when it was happening," Lightning shared, telling her all of it in one fell swoop. "And I sort of lost it on the guy. I beat him to a pulp and castrated him. He'd in a critical condition coma now, and he might not make it."

"Claire…" Serah spoke on a breathy exhale. Lightning glanced at her.

"GC's taking me in for some psychological exams this week," Lightning told her, "From there, they'll judge if I'm still fit to serve or not. I don't want to worry you; I'll be here most of the week. More, now, because I'm not working, but I didn't want to go without telling you."

"Claire," Serah's little arms wrapped around her as her body pressed up to Lightning's side. "I'm sorry." Serah nuzzled her head against Lightning's shoulder. "Why can't you ever have good news for me?"

"I'm sorry," Lightning apologized right back and meant it. She wished she didn't have to depress Serah with these things too.

"Did you mean it?" Serah asked unexpectedly, drawing Lightning's eye down on her. "Did you mean to… hurt him?"

"I don't know," Lightning admitted because she couldn't say no for certain. She didn't even regret it but for the consequences it'd give her in the GC. "His family's coming in, and there'll be a hearing in a week or so. Candice said she'd speak for me, so… we'll just have to see."

"Claire," Serah squeezed tighter and buried her face in Lightning's shoulder. Lightning reached around her back to rub it a couple of times, neither of them really knowing what to say afterwards. After moments had passed of this embrace, Serah finally said, "Thank you for telling me."

Lightning's features softened towards her. "I'm sorry for screwing up, Serah."

"I don't care if you mess up, Claire." Serah told her in hugging her. "I'm always gonna love you, Claire. I'm happy you're telling me these things."

"You don't look very happy."

"Shut up," Serah quieted, "Just let me hug you for once."

"Shutting up," Lightning reported, heart warming around her sister. Serah just had such an effect, it almost radiated around her. Lightning felt okay again when she was with her, not like such a screw up. Honesty with Serah definitely had its pluses. "Hugging you."

"It's gonna be okay, Claire… right?"

Lightning had an impulse to tell Serah yes, she'd be fine. But she'd made a promise to Serah. She didn't lie to her anymore. Instead, she kept quiet a moment, stroking up Serah's back until she found words she could say in truth to her sister. "I'll make it work, Serah."

**XXX**

"And this!" Summer asked, kneeling before the large, black television screen. "What is this depressing black void in the midst of your living room?"

Lebreau laughed, finding all her curious questions endearing. How such a sexy, bra-and-jeans laced woman could be so infinitely hot _and _adorable was beyond her, but Lebreau wasn't complaining about it. It was about time some gorgeous women moved on into her living room. "That's the television."

"It's not a very decorative piece… or is this some sort of art form? Vanille tells me Cocoon art is confusing." She fingered the bottom of it curiously, as if touch would help her figure out the confusing piece of machinery.

"No, no," Lebreau chuckled. "It's a functional piece. It's off now. Here, let me turn it on for you— just don't attack it when I do." Summer gave her a queer look, not understanding, but Lebreau nodded to the television to direct her attention that way. Summer's gaze went back to it "Watch," she encouraged, her own eyes locked on Summer as she picked up the remote to turn on the television. Summer went back to fingering the bottom of the curious flatscreen, waiting for the box to explain itself. As soon as her finger hit the power button and the television flashed to life with pictures, Summer absolutely squeaked. Right up close to it, she fell back on her butt in surprise and fright as some family show started playing.

"They're moving!" Summer cried in surprise, then gasped when one of the characters started speaking. "Lebreau, I hear them."

Lebreau grinned, absolutely loving surprising this girl with technology. "It's okay," she encouraged, smiling. "I hear them too, Summer."

"Wow…" Summer reached out a tentative hand and touched the bottom of the screen in awe. "What type of magic is this?"

Lebreau grinned broadly. "It's called electricity."

"Electricity…" Summer repeated, then silenced attentively as the television spoke. "What is it?"

"It's a story teller," Lebreau explained, loving every minute of this. "It's like reading a book in motion picture."

Summer's fingers hovered over the screen. "Amazing…"

"You want to do something even more fun?" Lebreau asked, encouraged by her awe to push it further. "We can control those people you see on the screen."

"Control them?" Summer asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it's real fun," Lebreau encouraged. "Don't worry, Summer. They're not real people. They're pixels."

"Pixels…" Summer repeated, not understanding.

"I'll show you."

**XXX**

Lightning suspected something bad was happening outside; she expected the worst: Lebreau crawling all over Summer, playing body-twister with her or an equally perverted game of Lebreau's invention that involved touching each other. She had not prepared herself for what she found in that living room.

Lightning blinked along with Serah beside her to see Summer with Lebreau on the couch, not touching each other up or doing anything kinky, just… handling a controller as Lebreau shouted commands to her. "X, X, quick!"

"Which one's X?"

"The one that looks like an X!"

"I don't know what an X is!" Summer cried back, flustered.

"Oh! Shit— she's whipping you. Tap square and –ohh, you almost had her too." Lebreau sighed, "That bottom one on your controller there's X."

"Why didn't you just say that?"

"You guys are playing Bayonetta." Lightning pointed out blankly.

Lebreau glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, hey Light! I'm just showing Summer a game."

"It's very inaccurate," Summer pointed out. "The Umbra were the protectors of our lands. This game makes it seem like the Sages were heaven-sent."

Lebreau touched her shoulder comfortingly. "It's a fictionalized version made by men, sweetie. You can't expect them to accurately portray your mythology."

""What is this mythology?"

"She means history." Serah corrected, earning an eyebrow from Lightning.

"And what's wrong with these men?"

"People have been asking that for years," Lebreau chuckled, then glanced back up. "Lightning, I want to take Summer out to lunch." Lightning cradled her head. "All of us!" Lebreau corrected, "We can all go to a nice family meal!" At Lightning's look, Lebreau added in pleading. "Come on, she'd be so much fun to take out and you know it. Pleease?"

"I would like to see the village," Summer admitted. Lightning just shook her head.

"Let's get you unpacked first, then we can choose a place to have lunch."

"Yay!" Lebreau cheered, "Summer, come on! We need to get you unpacked. I'll help!"

"After her," Lightning nodded after Summer and Lebreau. "She's not safe by herself."

"So, Summer, let's see what tasty things you brought in this bag of delights!"

"I didn't bring any food," Summer remarked, pulling out a similar top that looked just like the practical one she wore currently."

"Ooh, another belly show-er." Lebreau remarked, delighted. "I like your style, Summer!"

"My style," Summer chuckled, "I'm afraid I don't have much of one. I just go for what's practical." Following those words, seven consecutive pairs of same-similar stretch-bra like tops followed. And jeans came after; all seven pairs of them. Lightning raised an eyebrow as Summer began removing her toiletries while Lebreau, absolutely thrilled, helped hang her stuff up.

"I've got a washer and dryer too," Lebreau told her, "So we can wash all your things every day after they get dirty."

Lightning glanced at Serah, noting if anyone else found Summer's clothing options problematic. As the rest of the toiletries came out, so did a picture, some arrows, and a bow that took up the entire length of the long bag and probably was what made it so big. Lightning's eyes popped by the time Summer had finished. She hadn't seen any panties come out of that now-empty bag…

"I told her she didn't have to bring the bow," Serah explained, probably seeing her wide eyes. "But she said she wouldn't feel safe without it, so…"

"Uh-huh," That wasn't even the part that startled Lightning. "Are those… all the clothes you brought, Summer?"

"Yes, of course. I try not to over-pack." At Lightning's still-concerned eyes, she added. "Ohh, do you mean for sleepwear? I don't have any."

Lightning's eyebrows hid in her hairline. Serah made a little throat-clearing noise beside her. "I told her you wouldn't mind if she kept it to her bedroom at night and threw on a top and jeans when she came out."

"Wouldn't mind?" Lebreau scoffed. "I encourage it! Sleeping naked is a hobby everybody should take up. In fact, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to walk around the house naked, Summer! I'd encourage that too!"

"You would?" Summer seemed surprised.

Lightning cradled her head in a hand. "Lebreau…"

"Shh, Light!" Lebreau hushed. "House rules! I'm not bothered by it. Serah, are you bothered?"

"No."

"Then it's okay!" Lebreau proclaimed, "Summer, you may walk around naked whenever you feel like it."

"Thank you, Lebreau. You're very gracious. Serah told me most of Cocoon was more reserved than Gran Pulse. Lightning, it wouldn't bother you if I did that? I don't want to disrupt anybody's regular habits."

"If you don't mind eyes…" Lightning mutteringly mumbled, then added. "Lebreau's going to be staring."

"Oh, pftt!" Lebreau scoffed. "You were staring at the train stati—oww!" Lightning kicked her leg to shut her up. Summer looked on with an amused twinkle in her eye.

"I'm going to check some beachside places. We can't go into town if that's all you brought. Going to have to go shopping for clothes…"

"Ooh!" Serah cried out, delighted. "That's never a bad thing!"

"Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?" Summer asked, frowning in confusion.

Lightning glanced at the top, then moved her eyes back up to Summer again. "Your dress is fine, just… some places we'll go to have a… less revealing dress code."

"A what?"

"A code of dress?" When that didn't ring any bells, Lightning realized this probably was a foreign concept to Yuns. They might never be told how to dress. "It's one of our customs," Lightning explained. "Some places we go have certain dress requirements that require a certain kind of clothing."

"A clothing requirement?" Summer pondered it. "How strange…"

"Do you see what I mean?" Lebreau asked excitedly. "We need to get her out in public. Ooh! We should go to my bar. Think about the business!"

"I don't think the first place we should take her should be a bar at twelve in the afternoon. She's going to draw enough attention as it is."

"It's half a Café!" Lebreau argued, "She'll be perfect there! We can all grab a nice lunch on the beach front patioo, look out over the waterrr, draw everyone's attention to what beautiful women hang out at my plaace."

Summer gave Lebreau a beautiful smile. "Thank you."

"No, thank _you_," Lebreau returned, "Then we can all grab an Espresso and hit the shops!"

Lightning sighed.

"An Espresso?" Summer asked.

"Espresso," Lebreau repeated, "Like an Espresso coffee."

"A… coffee?" Summer asked, seeming bewildered.

"You've never had coffee?"

"What is it?"

"Light!" Lebreau squeaked, excited by it. "She's never had coffee! I'm going to buy her, her first coffee. No, I'm going to _make _it too!"

Lightning sighed with a hand to her face and shook it again.

"So…" Serah posed, "We going to Lebreau's?"

"Looks like."

Lebreau let out a whooping cheer.


	14. Chapter 14

"This is quite a location, Lebreau," Summer commented, having stared up and around as they passed everything to the beach front. It'd taken them at least an hour for what otherwise would have been a fifteen minute drive and walk, the Yun was so curious in asking about everything. And Lebreau was happy to answer her. Lightning let her proceed with Summer as she willed; Lebreau could be perverted as hell, but she seemed to take to Summer quite easily and seemed to enjoy informing her on the new world around them, so why not, Lightning figured. She liked sticking closer to Serah anyway, who had a story for all of it. Lightning was happy to hear her talk and go on. "And such a view," Summer added, indicating the patio they sat on in front of the beach.

"Thank you!" Lebreau smiled, more than happy with Summer. "I'm renting the place. Probably could afford it now, but I want to test it out for a while first and see if the location works out well for customers and business. Might be able to do better a little in town, but it's been pretty busy and consistent out here. We'll see if it keeps up through the months."

"It's very relaxing," Summer agreed. "A little busier than the Springs, but quite nice with good sand…" Summer quieted as she watched a particular group of girls running towards the water. Her eyebrows drew together as she surveyed the people there. Lightning lifted an eyebrow as she grew increasingly troubled.

"Something wrong?"

"These people…" Smmer slowly pointed out, looking to ones getting wet. "Why are they running into the water with their clothes on? Isn't it impractical to wash with them?"

Lightning followed her eyes to a particular group of girls wearing normal bathing suits in the water. Serah giggled.

"That's not their clothes, Summer." Summer only seemed more confused by the answer. "It's their swim suits!" Serah said, "It's material that's specifically designed to get wet."

"Even so," Summer asked, "Why are they wearing them to swim in? Do Cocoon people not bathe in the nude?"

Lightning's eyebrows went up. No wonder the Yun was confused; her tribes would simply strip down, of course. If they weren't stripped already, that was. "It's another of our dress codes," Lightning put in. "People wear bathing suits to the beach."

"You have a dress code for that?" Summer almost balked, "Whatever for?"

"Cocoon people aren't as brazen as Yuns," Serah put in, "They don't walk about naked either."

'They,' Lightning noted, not 'we.' Serah had already started to consider herself a Gran Pulsian. Lightning wasn't sure whether to be happy about this or not. "Never?" Summer asked in shock.

"Not much outside the bedroom, no. They're not as adventurous as Yuns."

"Oh…" Summer spoke like it'd taken her breath away to hear it. "That's awful."

"It really is!" Lebreau agreed, stopping back over with a pad and pen. Two passing men entering her establishment sent long, staring eyes their way, especially concentrated on Summer to Lightning's right. "Welcome, welcome!" Lebreau welcomed in delight. "Take a seat, you two. Anywhere is fine." When she turned back to their table, it was with a big smile. "You guys are bringing me such business, I love it. What'll you have?"

"You're serving us too?"

"Of course!" Lebreau answered like it should be obvious, "I have to show everyone you're customers as well as friends, and that you'll come back!"

Lightning shook her head.

"Serah," Summer asked in a hushed voice that Lightning almost didn't hear. Summer glanced in the direction the guys had just sat down at. "Are those men?"

Serah smiled, equally amused as Lebreau with her questions. "Yes, those are men."

Summer cast another sidelong glance that way in observation and frowned. "Their chests are so square… oh!" Summer looked away quickly. "They're looking at us. Did I speak too loud?"

Serah giggled. "I don't think that's it." She added, "And you don't have to whisper so softly, Summer. No one here has Yun hearing. They won't overhear you talking."

"Oh, right…" Summer straightened back up in her seat, and it was no wonder she drew eyes. Even as she completed the simple movement, Lightning was hard-pressed not to stare at how it stretched her strong and slender limbs, natural tan on her looking gorgeous in the sun.

"What'll it be, my girls?" Lebreau asked in the happiest, friendliest mood of all of them. "Should I just put you all down for the house special? It's delicious, I promise!"

"That sounds fine, Lebreau."

"And drinks!" Lebreau added, "We must all have a drink in celebration of Serah's homecoming and Summer's visit!"

"Lebreau…" Lightning started in a warning tone.

"Oh, just one!" Lebreau pushed, "None of us will get drunk from one. I'll be right back!" She raced away before Lightning could say anything else to start the prep on their food and drinks. For all she thought Serah might've changed over her visit, an interest or resistance to alcohol did not seem likely to have manifested. Lightning sighed, but let her have just the one get away moment.

"Lightning," Summer unexpectedly asked, directing a statement her way. "Those women are staring at you."

"Women?" Lightning got an indication to a group below on the beach who kept glancing back up at them. "I doubt it's me they're staring at," she remarked, turning back in her chair to the table.

"No, they're speaking of you too," Summer added, "Some of them… are not being very kind."

Lightning frowned at that. "What are they saying?" she saw Serah straighten to attention too and noted to keep the conversation tame. Knowing her situation or not, she didn't want to impress undue worry to her sister over her.

"They heard news," Summer conveyed, "About what happened in the… Guardian Corps?" Summer's own eyebrow lifted. "One of them says you castrated a man." Dammit. Lightning had thought the GC would have done a better job to hide what happened within their walls, but Noel's family must've come out and revealed it to the press or something. Lightning wasn't happy to hear it.

"That's another story. Is there anything else, or they're just gossiping?"

"One of them's defending you…" Summer listened, then her eyes got wide. "She says you stopped a rape. Lightning, is this about Fang?"

"No," Lightning sighed, "It's something else. Just… try to tune them out if you can. It doesn't have to do with Fang."

"But they mentioned rape…" Summer said, seeming to continue listening, whether by will or an inability to help it, Lightning didn't know.

"It's a different situation," Lightning hadn't wanted to fill Summer in this early about it, but if it'd hit the news already, the Yun would probably overhear lots of things being said about her when they walked, so she filled her in. "Long story short, I beat someone close to death for trying to rape my friend at the barracks."

"Claire…" Serah reached out a hand for hers. Lightning clasped it to show she was okay.

Summer's eyes widened. "Almost raped? Is this a common occurrence in Cocoon?"

"Sort of." Lightning sent her a glance. "It's a reason why we don't walk around naked too. It's too inviting to men."

"That's awful!" Summer seemed stricken for words a few seconds, then her face drew together in worry again. "But… why are they talking bad about you for saving that girl?"

"Castrating men for attempted attacks isn't something this world approves of very much."

"But if he was attacking her…"

"It's a confusing system," Lightning put simply because Summer probably wouldn't care for the complexities of their laws or approve of them if she told. "We both did bad things; mine was just judged to be overkill."

"It's not a bad thing," Summer said sharply in a tone that surprised, "To protect someone from that."

Lightning breathed out and it was almost a puffing laugh. "Our systems don't quite see it that way." She squeezed Serah's hand again to reassure her she was okay, then added, "Really, try to ignore them if you can, Summer. You probably don't want to hear of it like that."

"Hmm," Summer simply answered, and Lightning found herself wondering what the Yun must be thinking then. She tried to shake it off as a few more people looked their way in passing as they entered the bar.

"Drinks!" Lebreau announced with a happy reappearance, lightning the atmosphere from that depressing conversation. Lightning was glad as she seated herself back down again with them. "The food's in the oven and cooking, hand-made myself! And I know Gran Pulse has richer foods according to taste, Summer. You don't have to worry about eating while you're here. I order in all my products from Gran Pulse and only shop in the Gran Pulse Organics' section."

"That sounds lovely, Lebreau." Summer told her, "Fang told me horror stories about the food to keep me from coming here."

"Fang didn't want you to come?" Lightning asked suddenly at the mention, an unexpected quickening rising in her chest.

"She was worried," Summer confided truthfully.

"She thought Summer too beautiful to come to Gran Pulse," Serah added, a silent 'it wasn't about you,' actually soothing Lightning a little.

"Oh…"

"Fang wanted to come herself," Summer added, "But you know how Jaeger feels about that." Considering it, it was actually surprising they'd let Summer come at all. Fang's fears were real; Summer _was _too beautiful for this place, and it just seemed like everyone would've been against her going at all. "We couldn't let Serah go alone though, either. So I came."

Which was curious in and of itself, thinking further on it. Why would Summer want to come…? She and the Yun had already come to a cautious peace over Fang, but why did that even matter when they lived worlds away anyway? Lightning gave her a scrutinizing look in trying to figure it out. She must've volunteered for some reason.

"And now we cheers!" Lebreau held her drink up to the middle, "For Summer's decision to come with Serah. Do you know how to cheers, Summer?"

Summer smiled politely and lifted up her own glass. "We cheers in Gran Pulse too."

Lightning indulged her and sipped the drink after clinking glasses alongside Serah, who had a fruity drink unlike her own. Lightning hoped Lebreau hadn't put much alcohol in it; she didn't want Serah getting sick, but Serah didn't make a face or anything, so maybe it wasn't as strong as Lightning's tasted. "Go slow," Lightning told her anyway, knowing the sugar mix with the depressant might upset her stomach still. Serah gave her a smile that said she didn't have to worry as Lebreau eagerly chatted away with Summer about Gran Pulse.

"So, you live in Paddra," Lebreau deduced from something Summer had told her.

"I do," Summer confirmed, "I've traveled with the kids the past couple of years, though. Ember's still too young, but Rivera and Kierra are old enough that I want them to see other parts of Gran Pulse too. And Kierra always likes visiting her daddy in Roe, so we try to make a trip at least once a year for some months."

Lebreau stared at her with wide eyes, and even Lightning casted a side-glance at Summer's immaculate stomach and body that was so muscle-honed. "You've had three children?"

"Three angels, yes," Summer answered, a mother's love clouding her eyes. Lightning imagined she might've missed them already by that look, but that only further begged the question—why had Summer left Gran Pulse for this?

"How?" Lebreau finally managed after gawking at her body some. "You're flawless," she delivered bluntly, making Lightning shake her head a little more. Lebreau had no qualms in saying it, though. Where beautiful people were involved, she was quite open to them, and as she had deftly said, Summer was little less than flawless on her own.

"Oh," Summer smiled, realizing what she meant with the grace to take the compliment easily enough, "Thank you, but none of mine came in multiples, so I didn't have a hard time adjusting back like some women go through," Summer looked at her with a smile that was almost sad at the edges. "I've only been blessed with singles thus far. I would love to have twins sometime soon." By the look Lebreau gave Summer, Lightning was glad the operation was not yet possible by tech because it seemed like a serious consideration to Lebreau. "There's a glow you get when pregnant and that warmth," Summer went on, "You know? I miss it."

Lebreau took a little too long to say anything, she was probably stuck in her head too much, so Lightning provided. "None of us have had children to know."

"Serah's told me Cocoon usually waits until they're 23 or 25 or so," Summer confessed, "It's terrible to wait so long with your lifespans. I can see you having a lovely, pregnant glow, Lightning."

Lightning's eyebrow arched up, but considering how much Gran Pulse valued children, it was probably an esteemed compliment from her. She cleared her throat. "Thank you…"

"What about me?" Lebreau woke up from her trance to whine. "Would I have a lovely, pregnant glow?"

Summer chuckled, not at all dismayed by her antics, though Lightning felt like dropping her head at Lebreau. "I think all femmes gain something special when they're with child. It's a beautiful thing to behold."

"She called me a femme," Lebreau said with absolute stars in her eyes, not really knowing the term at all, but floored. Serah smiled, hard pressed to hold back a giggle at Lebreau's clear infatuation with the Yun.

"Ladies," a smooth-talking, heavily masculine voice interrupted them. Lightning glanced over to see a black-haired male with too much gell leaned over near Lebreau's side, confident, easy-going smile almost surprising to Lightning, though the guy probably just had a cocky edge. "You all must be Pulsian, carrying around, looking so beautiful like that."

Summer looked up in surprise. "Oh, hello."

Lightning almost groaned. "Don't be flattered, Summer. Anyone with half a brain can tell you're from Gran Pulse." With half a check to Serah, even her sister was a little red-cheeked in blushing. Lightning physically cringed at it, then was thankful to remember Serah had Hawke.

"I suppose that's fair," slick-hair said, pulling up a chair to slide into it uninvited. "Anyone would be a fool to mistake you ladies for anything else."

"Hey, Slick. She's the only Pulsian here, so nice try. Go back to your buddies now."

"Lightning!" Lebreau looked at her with a strained, meaningful look at her bar to remind Lightning to be inviting to her establishment. Lightning gave her a look back, but Lebreau pleaded with her eyes. Lightning sighed.

"An actual Pulsian?" The guy asked, looking straight at Summer. "Man, that's a gem. You're gorgeous, Sweetie, if I may? What's your name?" Summer looked to Lightning for guidance, seemingly flattered, but confused by her hostile reaction.

Lightning suppressed another groan, wanting to tell the guy to fuck off. But for Lebreau's sake, she was nice. "Don't touch her and you can sit here another minute," Lightning grumbled, not happy with this.

The guy's cocky smile grew to a full-out grin as he nodded the side of his head in Lightning's direction. "She the girlfriend? I hear you guys have lots of them in the land down under."

"We do," Summer answered, misunderstanding the term they didn't use in her world for significant others, "And yes, Lightning's one of mine." She frowned a little at the light that hit his eyes, and Lightning was glad she had some good judgment with that curious nature. "My name's Summer…" Summer introduced, hesitating a little more with a secondary glance to Lightning, a little more cautious.

"You don't need to glance at her, baby. I won't do anything your girlfriend doesn't like. I promise." He winked, "Summer there's a pretty name."

"Thank you…" Summer thanked, hesitating.

"You're doing something the girlfriend doesn't like." Lightning alerted, drawing the guy's eyes.

"You're one of those possessive girlfriends, huh?"

"She's not into what you're thinking," Lightning warned, "She's looking at you like you're a new monkey species; so stop trying to flirt."

"I wouldn't mind being her monkey," the guy cast a smile Summer's way and winked, then back at Lightning. "Yours either, doll."

"Would you mind bleeding out on the floor?"

"Is he bothering you?"

Lightning looked to her other side to see an even bigger oaf standing there, this one blonde and scruffy. Perfect.

"Snow!"

And of course Serah would know him. What a cherry to this perfect lunch. Lightning winced as Serah scrambled up from her seat to hug him, coming about up to his beefy neck only, the guy was so tall. She threw her arms around him like he was a welcome old friend. 'Snow' chuckled and wrapped huge arms around her back with a, "Hey, Serah," that Lightning didn't like at all.

"What are you doing in Bodhum!" Serah practically sang.

"Oh my," Summer uttered, probably accidentally. Lightning scooted her chair a little closer discreetly in case she had to warn her. "Sky wasn't lying about the whiskers!"

Snow smilingly looked up and nodded to the incredibly smaller man on Lebreau's side of the table. "Why don't you scram, buddy?"

Slick measured up Snow with an eye and glanced back to her and Summer to see if it'd be worth it to stay. In a startling display of good sense, Slick grumbled and left, "Maybe I'll see you again, Summer." He tossed back, and Summer suddenly had a small shudder in her shoulders. Lightning took the moment to lean over her way and whispered. "Tell other guys the same thing, Summer. I'm your girlfriend, okay?" she ignored Lebreau's smiling smirk cast her way. "If they don't back off after, you can hit them."

"I'm used to being stared at," Summer stated without shame, "But not like that. There was… something malicious about the way he stared at me, wasn't there?"

"There was." Lightning confirmed for her, glad to hear she'd sensed it, "Most men are lecherous assholes, especially to beautiful women. Try to avoid them when you can."

Summer smiled a little from the corner of her mouth, but only then nodded to Snow and her sister. "Isn't he a man?"

Point. "Serah!" Lightning almost snapped, drawing both their attention.

"Oh!" Serah took the giant oaf's hand and brought him over. "Claire, this is Snow! I used to tutor him back in University."

"Hey there," Snow greeted in a friendly manner, "You go by Lightning, right? Serah's told me a lot about you. It's nice to meetcha, Lightning!" He held out a hand. Lightning looked at without taking it, then looked up to the guy.

"Serah…" she started in a warning fashion.

"Oh, Snow!" Lebreau greeted, making Lightning blink as she stood. "Lightning, loosen up. Snow's a good one."

"It's okay," Serah told Snow, "She's just a little touchy about men."

"Hey, no problem," Snow took back the hand to rub at his neck. "I can understand that. Maybe my partner will make her feel a bit better," Snow glanced back to a table and waved someone over. "Gadot!"

A slightly shorter, but even muscle-beefier man stood from the table and crossed over behind Snow. "Hey, man. Girls,"

Snow cast Lightning a crooked, unsure grin. "This is my boyfriend, Gadot."

"Snow!" Serah gasped and Snow colored a little, rubbing at his neck.

"Yeaah; I've been in the closet with him a little, but we came out this summer."

"In the closet?" Summer asked, trying to follow.

"Hiding that he's gay," Lightning pointed out for her, to which she asked.

"Gay?"

Lightning realized Gran Pulse didn't even know the term because they wouldn't have it down there. "Attracted to other men," Lightning pointed out, making Snow crooked smile a little more shyly.

"Oh…" Summer pondered, "Is that unusual here? For one man to love another of his kind?"

Snow chuckled, "It is a bit," he hesitated, then asked of Lightning. "Do you mind if we sit here? We'll walk away if you say no. No hard feelings."

If he hadn't come up with his gay friend, Lightning probably would have said no. But knowing that Summer and Serah were safe from lecherous staring, Lightning felt a little more inclined to indulge Serah's pleading eyes. "Sure," she allowed, "You can sit with us a little."

"Oh, thanks!" Snow said like he hadn't expected an invite. Summer gave the two a curious look and pondered.

"I'm going to get you boys some more drinks. The regular?"

"Yeah, thanks Lebreau!"

"You called him your boyfriend…" she pointed out. "And that means that you are involved?"

"Oh!" Serah startled in realization. "Yes, Summer. That means they're together—like Flames!"

"I see," Summer deduced, then glanced back at Lightning and asked more quietly while Serah chatted away with Snow and Gadot. "And when he called us girlfriends…?"

"It's easier for people to think we're together," Lightning said, embarrassed a little by Summer's twitching smile. "They won't bother you so much if you have a girlfriend already." Lightning defended. "And if they do, it's someone you can hit."

"You're proposing we couple while in public."

"It's easier that way… so, yes." Lightning ignored the nagging tic of Summer's smirk.

"So, you're not Fang," Snow said suddenly from something he and Serah were talking about, "I didn't think so—you don't look like her, but you look Pulsian."

"I'm a Yun," Summer stated, clearly proud of it. "And Lightning's my girlfriend."

"Oh yeah?" Snow asked in surprise. "I guess you and Fang are done then, Lightning? It's too bad; I was really rooting for you two when you hit the news like that. You helped inspire me to come out, being so public about it." Snow looked quick in Summer's direction so he wouldn't offend, "I'm sure you're great with her too, though. No offense intended to your relationship, of course."

"None taken," Lightning excused, trying to slightly kinder to this one.

"He doesn't seem so menacing," Summer whispered softly. "Not like the other."

"Gay guys are usually nicer than normal ones," Lightning informed.

"Is it safe to interact with him?" Summer asked, eyeing them both in curiosity like they were specimens.

"Yeah, it's fine."

"Snow," Summer called back his attention, to which Snow smiled graciously. With Gadot's arm around his hulking shoulder, they leaned on the table together to listen. "Your whiskers are fascinating. May I touch them?"

Lightning startled at the question, whereas Serah just giggled. Snow looked confused for a moment before he realized, "Oh, you mean my scruff?" He laughed, accommodating, "I guess you Yuns don't have that on Gran Pulse, huh? Yeah, go ahead. I don't mind."

Lightning had to remind herself he was gay to keep from smacking Snow's face away as Summer extended a hand. "Oh!" Summer drew back her fingers quick, "They're bristly."

"I like his whiskers," Gadot contributed.

Serah giggled, having too hard a time not to laugh. "I remember when I liked your scruff." Snow cast her a charming smile that had Lightning flipping between an overly-curious Yun and protecting her sister.

"So, you did have a crush on me there?"

"I used to like big guys," Serah confessed, blushing a little at it. "I thought you were cute; all big-muscled and gentle…"

Lightning's jaw twitched. "Hawke's probably stronger."

Serah chuckled again, "She is; don't worry, Claire. I'm into Yuns now." Serah leaned over and kissed her cheek affectionately from Lightning's other side, who grumbled quietly with an un-amused look.

"Really?" Summer asked, made more curious by her statements. "What purpose does the extra bulk to your muscles have then, Gadot? If not for extraordinary strength."

"Hey, I'm pretty strong," Gadot balked. "I hear Yuns are powerful, but I can bench."

"It's too bad Hawke's not here," Serah mused with a smile. "We could have them arm wrestle."

"Arm wrestle?" Summer asked, frowning.

"It's just a Cocoon test of strength." Lightning explained, but Summer kept frowning. "Summer?"

"Those girls," Summer mused, eyes stuck on the earlier group on the beach. "They're talking about you again. They're speaking of coming over, but two don't want to because you're here."

"Summer, it's all right." Lightning attempted to ease. "Just ignore them."

"They keep calling you 'dyke.'" Summer informed, making Snow suck up a breath and Serah upset. "I don't like the sound of it." The Pulsian probably didn't even know what it meant, but by the crease of Summer's brow, it was troubling her regardless.

"Hey," Snow cautioned, "It's all right, Lightning. Some people will always be intolerant. You shouldn't let it bother you."

"It doesn't," Lightning stated, far more concerned with how it bothered Serah to hear.

"Claire…"

"I'm going to straighten them out," Summer said, and it took Lightning a second to realize she had stood and started walking off the porch towards them.

"Summer!" Lightning jumped to her feet. "Stay here," she told Serah and glanced to Snow with a meaningful eye meaning to keep her there. She didn't have time to wait if the buffalo understood, though, because Summer needed catching. Lightning zipped off after her and thankfully caught up by the end of the long, wooden walkway that ramped down into the sand. She took Summer's hand. "Summer— "

Instead of stopping Summer, though, Summer's much-greater strength pulled Lightning forward a step. "I won't let them speak of you like that."

"Summer, stop," Lightning ironed in her feet to the wood to keep her from pulling any further. Summer halted, but only to look back at her with a harsh frown.

"They're insulting you, Lightning." Summer spoke like she couldn't understand why Lightning was stopping her, "Dishonoring your name with gossip behind your back."

"People do that all the time in this world," Lightning told her, trying to get through. "Especially about celebrities—that's news-known people like me," she filled in before Summer could ask. "We can't go off challenging them every time it happens."

"They sound malicious." Summer protested bleakly, then asked more quietly. "Lightning, what are these things? Whore and lesbian. The one defending you keeps saying lesbian; the others are calling you a whore."

"'Lesbian' is a term for us," Lightning explained to move Summer's mind off the girls, "It's a term for two women who get together. That's not the norm in this world, so they have a name for it."

"And whore?" Summer pushed.

"That's… a derogatory term for a woman who sleeps around. It has a more negative connotation in this world."

"Sex does?" Summer asked, seemingly confused and more than a bit angry.

"In general, yes. Women of this world are expected to have only one sexual partner in a given time period."

"What?" Summer snapped, and Lightning winced. "Do they not expect women to have sexual urges here?"

"Not to more than one man, no. We're already outside of their comfort zones because we're lesbians."

"I don't understand all these rules, Lightning. Your people are told what to wear, how to act, who to engage with and when. Next thing you'll tell me, you don't have sex in public, either."

"We don't." Lightning supplied to Summer's growing frustration. "You can get arrested for that."

"Arrested by who?" Summer almost demanded, "Who makes these ridiculous rules to follow in your daily lives? Are you not suffocated by them?"

"Sometimes," Lightning admitted, "They're our accepted society norms, though. I haven't lived in Gran Pulse all my life, and it's only been… since Fang that I have a better appreciation for other women, so I don't feel it as bad as you probably are." She added with a second glance, "Gran Pulse is a lot freer than we are."

"Why would anyone want to live here?" Summer balked, and Lightning cast her a little smile of sad appreciation.

"Sorry to depress."

"How do you stand it?" Summer asked, appalled by the notion. "These people might not know better, but after Fang…"

"A lot of things changed after Fang," Lightning confessed and couldn't quite hold her eye to say it. Lightning had been lucky to have her back then, before she ruined it. Now, she just had those memories to dwell on. If truth be told, Lightning might've been a little sad that Fang couldn't have startled her again with a surprise visit. She would've liked to see her friend again.

Summer's hand gently touched her shoulder. "Fang does that to a woman," she shared, drawing Lightning's in a quick, shared glimpse of understanding. Lightning felt slightly better just seeing it—only seconds before something cold and wet splashed up her side and face.

"Dyke," one of the earlier girls accused in passing, discarding her empty cup to the ground. Lightning almost didn't follow what happened next, Summer moved so fast. In one instant, the girl had passed them, and in the next, Summer had her by the neck, lifted into the air as the girl's eyes grew big in struggling.

"You've assaulted my girlfriend verbally and now, physically, and I won't stand for it!" Summer told the petrified girl, and Lightning's heart skipped a beat somewhat inappropriately.

"Amanda!" Someone called from the beach in panic.

"Killing is not allowed on this planet?" Summer asked Lightning, soaked and dripping with something she hoped was water. For a moment there, Lightning didn't even know if she was kidding or not.

"No…"

"Please!" The girl gasped, revealing that Summer wasn't _quite _strangling her. "I'm sorry! _I'm sorry!"_

Summer dropped her to the wooden boards of the ramp. "Typical," she practically spat, but in an eloquent manner, sort of a hiss. The girl scrambled back, clutching her neck. "If I hear another insult drip from your acidic lips about me or my woman again—or any lesbian couple," Summer glared at the petrified girl, shimmying away on her back. "I'll be back."

Shit, it was sexy. Lightning coughed off the thought as Lebreau, Serah, Snow and Gadot all came rushing over. "Light!" Lebreau yelled in unison to Serah's,

"Claire!"

They were pulling her back in another moment as the girl flipped to her hands and knees and scrambled away. "Are you okay?" Serah asked in sisterly concern.

"Summer," Lightning summoned with a nod her way.

"I didn't kill her." Summer defended before she could even say anything. "I just scared her."

"Shitless, I'd say." Lightning reached at Serah's fingers to brush them away. "I'm fine, Serah. It's just a drink."

"We need to wash you off."

"Summer," Lightning returned her attention to the Yun in question. "Thanks."


	15. Chapter 15

"Are you happy with how it looks?"

"Well, it seems impractical to cover up so completely in this heat," Summer admitted her continued frustration, "But I think what's been chosen looks fine. I don't know; I don't dress up so much. You said it was okay, Lightning?"

Lightning glanced at the two discussing over Summer's new choices of top-wear, which included a few tanks that looked damn good on her, a couple curve-clinging shirts, a dressier outfit Serah had chosen in case they went somewhere nice over the week, and a blouse. All of them looked jaw-droppingly flawless on her. 'Okay' put it quite lightly. "You looked great," Lightning murmured because Summer had to know how gorgeous she made every outfit already. "We still need to fit you for a bra, though…" as if the changing hadn't been bad enough. Summer had almost stripped in the middle of the aisle to try on clothes before Serah caught and informed her about the dressing rooms. She'd probably need help fitting it and buckling clasping the bra in the back too, looking into the mirror and asking for opinions…

Lightning shook her head to stop that direction of thoughts until they came upon it, which wouldn't be long in the mall, but still. "Where do we do that?" Summer asked, glancing around as she had since the moment they walked in.

"We can stop at Amour's Fittings for tha—OhmyGod, Cocoon's Sparrow is having their Anniversary Sale and I've hit it, Claire, I have to go!" Serah looked at her in pleading. "I used to schedule my whole year around this! Please, can we stop in, Claire? Just for a little?"

"More clothes?" Summer asked.

While Lightning understood Serah's revitalized urge to shop now that she was back, she was afraid Summer might be getting a little tired of it by now. Not that the Yun said so or complained or had seemed to lose interest, but they'd gone to four different clothing shops already and Lightning had a feeling she was getting close to being done with clothes-shopping by now. "What if you go in there to look and meet up with us at Amour's?" Lightning proposed. "You can put any purchases under my code."

"Okay, Claire!" Serah agreed quickly, revving with excitement about the store. She gave Lightning a quick hug and bid them both goodbye. "If I don't meet you by the time you're done, I'm still in Cocoon's Sparrow!"

Lightning shook her head as Serah ran off.

"Lightning," Summer summoned her attention with that sneaky gorgeous little smile she had. "Is this a ploy to get me alone for the measuring of my chest?"

Lightning choked, eyes popping with the ploy she had in no way conceived. Summer's beautiful smile grew as she reached for Lightning's wrist. "Come on, Sweetie." She teased, "I'm curious too."

Lightning caught up alongside her as Summer curiously walked, checking around them for the store. Her fingers slid down from Lightning's wrist into her hand. "Couples in this world hold hands, don't they?"

"Yeah…" Lightning ignored how warm and smooth Summer's fingers felt in her hand.

"Which way?" Summer asked, venturing along.

"I don't know," Lightning confessed. "I've never been to this mall before."

"Hmm," Summer checked along, strolling with Lightning. Quite a few people were glancing their way, but they'd been doing that the whole time with Summer among them. Lightning didn't mind them so much; actually, holding Summer's hand seemed to be keeping others from venturing too close as quite a few guys had been doing on this outing. That was one thing to appreciate at least.

"Oh!" Summer halted them, "Is this it?"

Lightning looked her way and blinked. Of all the shops Summer could have stopped at… "This isn't it." Lightning told her, tugging her hand to pull her along.

"Are you sure?" Summer asked, pulling free of her hand to walk up to the display, which held a goth-dressed model figure wearing nothing but a bra and panties with a black choker around her neck. Summer pointed right at it. "Isn't that a bra?"

"Summer," Lightning hurried over and grabbed her hand down and away. "That's the sex shop."

"The sex shop?" Summer blurted in utter confusion as Lightning tried to nudge her along. "Do they sell sex in there?"

"Sex toys," Lightning explained quietly, "They sell toys you use for sex."

"Toys like what?" Summer asked, growing more curious as she looked into the display. "Lightning, what's that?" Summer asked, pointing to a cardboard display of cordless, vibrating nipple suckers. "That's not a bra, is it? She's wearing it over her breasts."

"No, it's not."

"What are they?"

"They're… nipple vibrators."

"Nipple vibrators?" Summer asked, startled, and it sounded very loud. Lightning glanced behind her where more people seemed to be looking their way, but Summer's attention was fixed. "That's fascinating. They're for when your Yun is away?"

"Or lonely people, yeah." Summer glanced her way and looked a moment, eyebrow lifting until Lightning realized what she'd interpreted. "Not for me!" Lightning cut off sharply, "I don't have them!"

"Can we look inside?" Summer asked, fully intrigued by all this. Lightning glanced back again and nodded quickly. It'd be better inside than out for all the second glances they were getting.

"Hurry up, then."

Summer smiled and took her wrist again. "Thank you," she went for the door, "You can tell Serah I dragged you in."

"Or we could not tell Serah at all…" Lightning mumbled, disappearing in after Summer. The room was black-lit with different colored glows behind all the goodies on the walls and shelves, lighting up each item. Summer stared around in wonder. "Lightning! What should we look at first?"

"You're into sex toys?" Lightning asked, mildly surprised.

"I've barely heard of them," Summer confessed, looking all around. "Sometimes, the Brell invent something strange to do with sex, but they like to keep their gadgets close. You only hear by rumor…" Summer tugged then, "Lightning, what are these?" Summer reached her hand into a basket of individually wrapped contraceptives. She stared at the glow-in-the-dark packaging curiously. Lightning checked a few rows down for a store clerk who wasn't behind the counter yet.

"They're flavored condoms," Lightning told her.

"What's a condom?"

Lightning's eyes returned to her in time to see Summer rip open the package. "Oh, Summer!" Lightning reprimanded, reaching for her hands. "Don't do that. You're not allowed to open them."

"I just want to see," Summer claimed, taking the small circle out. She began to stretch it out experimentally. "What's it for?"

Lightning checked for the clerk behind her shoulder again to assure him or her that they would pay for the condom, but they hadn't shown up yet. She eyed Summer again nervously, who stretched out the condom in curious ways to examine it. "It's a latex stretch men wear over their penis to prevent women from getting pregnant."

"What?" Summer's eyes popped on her. The latex stretched taut between her fingers, Lightning covered it with a hand.

"Careful with that. It flings."

"It stops pregnancies from happening?" Summer asked, appalled, and Lightning realized how awful that might seem to Yuns.

"Only when you don't want them to," Lightning cautioned, "As soon as the condom's off, you can get pregnant again."

"Why would you try to stop such a thing?"

"Well, it's different here." Lightning reminded. "We're not surrounded by beautiful Yuns. Most women don't want to get pregnant until they're in a relationship here."

"I suppose…" Summer frowned, but looked over the little latex thing in her fingers. "You said that it was flavored?"

"Please don't lick it." Lightning asked. "Please."

"No, I mean… why is it flavored?"

"Oh," Lightning recognized where her confusion was coming from. "That's for oral. It… gives it a better taste."

"The penis, you mean?" Summer asked with a deeper frown.

"Yeah."

"I like the taste." Lightning's eyebrow quirked. Summer asked in confusion. "Don't you?"

"The only person I've given oral to is Fang."

"You didn't like it?"

"I liked how she responded to it," Lightning clarified, "How much she was pleasured and enjoyed it. I have fond memories of that, just… the act itself wasn't my favorite of our experiences."

"Some women are like that, I suppose," Summer mused, "You probably choked a bit if Fang was your first attempt, huh?"

"I tried not to," Lightning confessed and wondered if she should feel weirder talking about this with Summer. "But when she came… it was a lot."

"It's okay, Lightning." Summer assured. "Fang's quite big, even by Yun standards. And everybody gags their first few times; I used to a long time ago."

"I can't even picture that," Lightning told truthfully because Summer seemed like she'd be perfect at whatever she tried to do. Summer cast her a short smile that sparkled, then lifted the condom.

"This is supposed to slide around the penis, right?" At Lightning's nod, she asked. "The whole penis?"

"They're designed for Cocoon men," Lightning explained.

"Wow," Summer looked at it funny, "That is a horrible misfortune to Cocoon women, isn't it?"

Lightning smiled, sharing the sentiment. "Even if I still found men attractive, I could never go back."

"Fang has that effect on a girl." Summer agreed solemnly, then lightly turned around and asked. "What else is in here?" Summer paroozed and Lightning followed, reminding her.

"Don't open anything else up."

Summer stopped at the display outfits, "Oh, Lightning, look at these." She touched at one made of leather that consisted of… various straps. "These look interesting. I've always liked leather."

"Pretty sure you'll give Fang a heart attack if you go home in that," Lightning remarked, not to mention the problems she might have herself in looking Summer in the eye. "All those are kink outfits for bedroom play."

"Kink?" Summer cast a look back to Lightning,

"Like kinky," Lightning said, but when that didn't ring any bells, she explained. "It's… a range of sexual pleasuring practices that go beyond the norm. Stuff like spanking, bondage, sadomasochism… that kind of thing. This whole store is a kink shop for unconventional sex practices."

"Bondage?" Summer asked with an eyebrow.

"Yeah, some men like to tie their women down and vice versa."

Summer frowned. "That is unusual…" looking up at the row of outfits, she pointed. "You would look good in that one, Lightning."

Lightning colored at her choice. "I already have a GC uniform."

"Oh, you do?"

"From work, yes. It's… a little less modified than that one."

"Will you wear it for me?" Summer asked, making Lightning cough in the back of her throat a moment.

"Maybe you'll see it sometime this week."

Summer cast her one of those smiles that probably stopped studs in the tracks. "You're treating me, Lightning."

"As long as you realize it." Summer's smile turned affectionate, and Lightning couldn't help smiling back at the Yun. Just a little, even as she turned away to grab something else.

"Ohh!" Summer already handled another item and her eyes lit up on the display piece in her hands. "Lightning, is this a male's penis?"

"It's a dildo," Lightning explained, coming up behind the curious Yun so she wouldn't hurt herself with it. "A replica of a man's penis."

"A replica…" Summer fingered up it, examining. "Men's penises are purple?"

"No," Lightning smiled, "Not the color. Just the shape and form."

"Oh…" Summer examined along it. "This is a decoration piece, then?"

Lightning shook her head, lips twitching. It was hard not to find Summer adorable, thinking of her putting the dildo on the table in display. "It's for practical use," Lightning informed with a wry grin. "For lonely people or when your Yun is away."

Summer looked up, startled. "I put this inside me?"

"That's what it's for, yeah." Lightning answered, amused.

"Really?" Summer balked. "What if it gets stuck in me? I could swallow this little thing whole."

"Shh!" Lightning hushed, almost chuckling. She took the dildo from Summer's hands and put it back on the shelf. "Most Cocoon women aren't deep enough that they'd claim to swallow a dildo up." Lightning explained, putting it back and trying to keep Summer a little quieter about her mischief. 'Are you deep?" Summer asked unexpectedly, raising Lightning's eyebrow at her. Summer had no shame in asking. "You took in Fang, didn't you? Did she only go in halfway?"

Lightning cleared her throat again. "Not exactly, I… I suppose I'm deeper than most Cocoon women."

"You took her all the way in?"

"Yes…"

Summer's amber-flecked eyes shone. "You're built like a Gran Pulse woman, Lightning."

Lightning took it as a compliment. "Thank you."

Summer's attention turned back onto the boxes once more, ever curious eyes scanning the different models. "These are getting a little bigger." She commented, scanning down the line.

"They come in different sizes," Lightning informed, just watching her. "And have different functions too. Some vibrate, some stimulate your nerve centers, some have thermal warmers to keep hot…"

"This one has straps." Summer pointed out, curious.

"That's called a strap-on," Lightning informed. "Lesbians wear them while having sex sometimes. One straps it on over herself and… you know, fucks the other that way."

"Like a stud?" Summer asked, long, wistful eyes turning on Lightning, "Can we get that one?"

Lightning stiffened, wondering about her usage. Can 'we' get one? Did she mean… she wanted to… Summer's eyes told no lies, stuck on her in wistful longing. Lightning's body reacted against her shock with the question and warmed, Summer's comforting eyes mesmerizing her. She could learn how to use it for her…

"No sex in the store!" A third voice interrupted, footsteps tapping towards them as both Summer and Lightning's eyes snapped from the trance to look at him. The wiry, thin man approached from Summer's side and reached up to push the box back from her fingers. "There's… no testing the product, ma'am." Lightning silently cursed him and glared, not wanting Summer's eyes his way at all. When the man saw it, he cowered, long, lengthy self very much afraid. "I—I'm sorry," he apologized to her quickly. "You looked like you were going to test… I know it's different in Pulse, but— "

"_Gran _Pulse," Lightning practically snarled at him, quite annoyed with his interruption. He actually stepped back once in fright.

"C—Can I help you ladies with anything else?"

"My girlfriend and I are browsing your wares," Summer informed the petrified man, "Is this your biggest model?"

"Bigger?" the man asked, reworking his jaw from shock. "This is our large…"

Summer cast Lightning back a look, half amused. "That's disappointing."

"B—but we might have an extra-large Jumbo i-in the back," he stuttered. "The only problem is… it's… considerably bigger. The Jumbo doesn't fit m-most women."

"Oh, I don't think that'll be a problem." Summer told him surely, "Can you get it for us?"

"Oh…kay," the man agreed dazedly, then cast another look back to Lightning with a little more fright. "I'll be right back." As he rushed off to go fetch it, Summer sidled in next to Lightning with a coy smile tugging her lips. She wasn't making this any easier with that affectionate curling to her side, arms wrapping around Lightning. Lightning knew Yuns were more affectionate to friends and exes, but damn, she could swear Summer was doing this on purpose. Fuck the beautiful woman!

Summer rested her head on Lightning's shoulder with that sneaky little smile showing her amusement. "Aren't you glad you're not a stud?" Summer asked innocently. "I probably would have jumped you by now if you were."

Saying things like that, stiffening Lightning up, knowing exactly how gorgeous and irresistible she was—Summer was bloody dangerous. "That's not reassuring when you're looking at Jumbo dildos to buy."

Summer smiled with a little chuckle and sobered in resting her head there, comfortable. "It's been a long time for me, Lightning." Summer said, and Lightning couldn't tell if it was in explanation or if she was just telling her.

"Me too," Lightning shared, though it probably didn't feel nearly as long as it had for the Yun if she'd gone without sex since the incident with Fang. Yuns _thrived _on sex. It was no wonder Summer came in so flirty to Lightning; she must be missing her home with studs so especially bad. Even if she hadn't enjoyed any of them of late, at least she was around them in Gran Pulse and had her children there to keep her distracted.

"Summer…" Lightning ventured to ask. "Has Fang been… happy? Being at home?"

"I think so," Summer told her easily. "There's nobody like Anya to sooth Fang. And Jaeger's let up a little. Fang's a parents' girl." Summer rubbed her side, and if she hadn't stopped being a playful flirt for the moment, Lightning would've shivered. "She still talks about you a lot. She misses you, but she's thriving being home again too."

"Good," Lightning murmured, glad to hear it from someone other than her sister. Serah was a sweetheart, but for a small time there, Lightning had thought she might've exaggerated Fang's condition to keep her from worrying. Lightning was happy to know that wasn't the case; she was happy Fang was well. She was—

"Lightning," Summer interrupted her thoughts softly, drawing Lightning's eyes to the beauty on her shoulder. "Have you been happy here since Fang?"

Lightning had given up lying, so she simply said, "I get by," because it was as close to content as she reckoned she'd ever be. Summer rubbed her side and didn't push again, but rather turned the conversation to a more comfortable place—sort of—for Lightning.

"Let's make that gawking, little man stutter again, shall we?"

**XXX**

He had just stopped the two hottest girls he'd ever seen in his life from making out, and probably having sex on the floor.

He couldn't get over it. Jeshu wanted to stab himself, the injury was so bad. Pulse girls—no, _Gran _Pulse girls—_hardly ever _came to Cocoon, and when they did, they didn't stop into the sex store. As he scanned their stock walls of shelving, Jeshu felt like crying. Yes, he had a boss and she was in today, somewhere among these back shelves, but those two were worth losing his job over. Goddamn, they were so hot. The brunette with golden shimmers in her hair was flawless in every way imaginable, and that dangerous pink-haired one with no discolored roots because her hair was naturally colored like a foreign, exotic goddess, oh, damn! He thought she was going to shoot him with the intensity of that glare. They'd been ready to go at it. Fuck, fuck, fuck, why couldn't he have left them alone? Dammit!

Finally reaching the Jumbos, Jeshu removed one from the shelf and gave the box a sideways glance. The dildo was huge, and neither of those women looked big enough for something like it. He hoped they wouldn't hurt themselves with it. Carrying it back to the front, he braced himself for their hotness. These two really were something else. What a beautiful couple.

"This thermal vibrate feature looks nice," the brunette was saying, utterly shameless, by the time he pulled back up behind the counter.

"You'd probably like nerve stimulation too," the strawberry blonde said back, "It's supposed to really seek out your pleasure centers well."

Jeshu blinked at the casually-speaking women. Most people who came in here were either shy or giggling onlookers or hardcore sadomasochism fans who came in with their meek men to dominate. They got variations of people too, gays, lesbians, lonely people and some scarier guys Jeshu would rather not sell to, but no couple of lesbians had walked in so flagrantly shameless and openly sexual before. None this hot or worth remembering, anyway. Jeshu would be content to watch them parooze for hours if they would or wanted to. He hadn't seen beauties up close and personal in… well, forever, if he discounted the internet and magazines.

"Oh, Lightning," The brunette spoke, noticing him again with the box. "It's our Jumbo." She started crossing over to him. "Are we allowed to take it out and see it?" The brunette asked, not able to pick out anything but the picture on the side. Jeshu looked between them, then down quickly when the scary hot blonde's eyes turned on him again. He coughed in the back of his throat, clearing it.

"Y-You can," he stuttered and hated himself for faltering. Yeah, real sexy Jeshu. Just stutter at them. "B-but it has to stay in the plastic wrap for s-sanitary reasons." Jeshu could feel his heart rate picking up. He was going to need an inhaler if she kept talking to him like this.

"Thank you," The brunette said with a smile that had his blood rushing inappropriately. "Lightning, help me with this." She summoned her girlfriend. 'Lightning' Jeshu thought as he saw her approaching, eyes much softer on her lover than they'd been on him. Lightning came over and helped her girlfriend find the latch on the box. Jeshu wasn't sure where to stand; if he should go over to the counter now, or if they'd hopefully ask for help…

"There," Lightning said, popping the lid open for her girlfriend to reach in and grab the giant dildo out. The brunette's eyes glistened.

"Lightning! It's just as big as Fang!"

Jeshu blinked. The name was Yun, but men didn't exist among the Yuns, and the dildo was much too big to realistically belong to someone. Maybe 'Fang' was their previous dildo…

"Oh, I love it." The brunette went on, "The color reminds me of Sky with Fang's beautiful thickness and length."

Sky… that one was a little more boggling. Maybe it was a Yun thing.

"You like the color?" Lightning asked.

"Do you not? I kind of like that it's blue."

"Just…" Lightning glanced up at Jeshu and cast him another glare that had him retreating a step. Back to the counter, then! "You want to use one that's blue?"

"Is that what you're thinking about?" the brunette smiled and stepped up to her lover. Jeshu leaned to see around the corner at what they were doing. The brunette was so close… so close. Kiss! Jeshu silently encouraged. "You know, there's a set of straps in that box too, Lightning…"

He wasn't going to interrupt this time. No way. Let the girls go at it! He was all for their beautiful, lesbian love.

"Claire, there you are!" In a second, 'Lightning' broke away from Summer and the moment snapped. Jeshu's jaw dropped in despair as another pink-haired Yun showed up from behind the aisle rack. Clearly related, as she only seemed a slightly shorter, less-threatening version of Lightning herself, the girl went up to the party of them and hugged what Jeshu supposed was her sister. "I've been looking for you."

"Serah. Why would you look in the sex shop for us?"

"Well, you're here, aren't you?" Serah smiled innocently. "I checked Amour's Fittings first, but you weren't there." Jeshu marked the place in his head. If there was a day to take off work early, it would be to follow these two into the well-known bra-fitting shop just down the hall. "Some people overheard me, though, and said you'd both come in here." Serah added, then peeped behind her. "Ohh, you picked up something?"

"Serah— "

"Oh man!" Serah groaned, "That's as big as Hawke! Can I see it?"

Jeshu's eyes widened. She used one too? He hadn't known Yuns were so into sex toys as much as this. 'Hawke' she'd called hers. Damn, did they all name them? Hawke was another weird one, but at least it sounded better than 'Sky' for a dildo.

At Lightning's wary gaze, Serah added. "Don't worry, Claire. I still haven't had sex with Hawke yet. I just like to look at her sometimes and hold her."

Eden! These lesbians were weird. They even gave their dildos sexes! Jeshu couldn't find a fault in them about it, though. He just wanted the older two to kiss… or even with the younger one. Jeshu stiffened up as the very inappropriate mental of the two older ones together were joined by the sister. Fuck, that was inappropriate, but now he had a boner to sit on and squeeze his legs over, unable to even peek at them from leaning that way in the aisle. Dammit! The real pictures of them were so much better than his mentals! Soft, go soft! He wanted to look at them again.

"Ooh, thermal warming," the youngest one cooed and picked at the box somewhere, Jeshu supposed. "Look, it even comes with stimulators and gives electrical pulses in addition to vibrating. This one's a good one. Look! 'For Experienced Users Only.'" She laughed.

"… how do you know which are good ones?" Lightning asked, sounding distinctly unhappy.

"Well, I'm just supposing, Claire. Settle down."

"Electrical impulses sound nice," the brunette voiced, and Jeshu wished so bad to learn her name.

"Ohh, it's strappable too." Serah noted.

"I know," the brunette said, sounding happy.

"Serah, get out of there." Lightning reprimanded, pulling her back as Serah squeaked.

"I'm not a child, Claire! I've been in the sex shop before." A moment of quiet passed. Jeshu imagined Serah was on the receiving side of one of those scary-sexy glares from Lightning before she added. "Just the once!"

"Lightning, can we trade for this?" the brunette asked, "It's perfect."

"Stop looking at me like that and I'll buy it." Someone giggled. "Not a word, Serah."

"I wasn't going to." Serah giggled again.

Footsteps started to approach and Jeshu slid off his chair to hide his hard bottom half behind the counter. He gulped as they came near, heart starting to pound again, which made his jeans quite tight. "H-Hi again," he greeted the brunette, then looked down at the counter again quickly when the pink blonde didn't like it. "W-Will this be all, then?"

"And one of your cherry-flavored condoms," Lightning added, drawing his surprised and confused eyes. "Uhm," he cleared his throat, trying not to draw her menace as much… even if it was kind of hot to be glared at by someone so sexy. "T-Those won't fit the Jumbo…"

Lightning looked at him like he was a thing. "We're not going to— "

The brunette, chuckling, reached out a hand to hush her lover and said, "That's fine. Thank you." The little one giggled too, but Lightning remained distinctly growly.

Jeshu ran the box under the scanner and nodded to the fingerprint scanner in front of Lightning. "If you'd press your f-finger there, please…" Lightning did so with the same, distinctly muted glare of unhappiness and handed him over an opened, cherry condom. His eyes grew. So they _were _planning to do something in the store! Though he couldn't imagine what else they'd want the condom for… regardless, he ran both things under the scanner. "It'll be t-three hundred and sixty two credits."

"Eden," Lightning cursed, but continued scanning her thumb anyway.

"That's a lot for a happy present." Serah agreed.

"It—it's the features," Jeshu stuttered, not wanting to seem like he was ripping off the lesbians so they could make love. "They charge extra…" he started to grow nervous and sweated. He didn't want to break the bank of these two beautiful ladies so they could just do what was natural to them in making love. It was expensive, but a lot of that charge _was _making money off their desire for it. He didn't own the store, but he stutteringly offered. "I—I can get you the employees discount. It's m-meant for friends, but…"

"You would do that for us?" The brunette asked, golden-speckled eyes positively shining at him.

"Y—Yeah. It's n-not right," he voiced, trying to take a little stand. "I'd give it to you for f-free if I could."

"That's very sweet of you," the brunette smiled at him and he felt a little faint. She held out her lovely, long and slender-fingered hand to him and shortage of air started to become a real problem. "I'm Summer," She looked back over her shoulder at the blonde ones and introduced them too. "That's my girlfriend, Lightning, and her sister, Serah."

Jeshu barely recognized holding out his own hand to her. "Jeshu…"

"Jeshu," Summer repeated, and it sounded like gold off her lips. "Thank you."

"Yeah…"

"We really appreciate it." Summer smiled at him again and he was floating. Her grumpy girlfriend looked on, shaking her head, and the little one kept giggling like a madwoman, but Jeshu could only enjoy the touch of her beautiful, silken hand.

"I'll get it shipped right away." Jeshu said in his daze.

"Oh, that's not necessary," Summer said, "We'll take this one by hand."

She was going to walk around with it. These Gran Pulse women were so bold and brazen; Jeshu might've been in love. "I'll get you a bag," he said, still happy-floating on his cloud. And Summer wouldn't stop smiling at him, even when her girlfriend tugged her closer to whisper something. Her smile never faded. "Here you go." Jeshu held out the bag to her. Summer thanked him one last time, and then she was leaving. Jeshu had a mini-panic before he realized he'd forgotten. "Wait!" he called back to the girls, desperate for any reason to keep them there only a moment longer. "I'm… I'm supposed to ask lesbian couples," he said nervously when they'd turned back on him. "Are… are you two interested in children?"

"Oh, I love children," Summer responded warmly, despite Lightning's clear intention to leave. "I have three."

Jeshu gulped and nodded, "I… don't know if you know, but I'm supposed to inform lesbian couples… a-about the recent technology advances a-allowing women to get pregnant with one another."

"Femme women?" Summer asked, and Jeshu didn't quite understand her, but Lightning stepped in to say something before he could answer.

"That's not all that recent, though."

"N-no," Jeshu admitted, "But they've made it more convenient in recent months. There's no more need t-to visit a specialist. You can do it at home with the supplement drink. Th—the one impregnating," he lowered his eyes from Lightning quickly to avoid another glare, "T-takes it a few hours ahead, and it bonds with her body and DNA t-to produce sperm in her body… to give to her lover."

"Between two femmes?" Summer asked again, seeming very interested. Her girlfriend, on the other hand, frowned. He probably wasn't explaining it completely right.

"That's what he's saying," Lightning told Summer, who's eyes got big.

"I-I don't know the scientific side of it t-to explain," Jeshu claimed, "I'm just supposed to i-inform lesbians that it's becoming more readily available. T-They're even designing a strap-on that'll help the exchange of fluids for the impregnating one to her lover, I think. If you prefer sex like that... but it works with tribbing too..."

"I could reproduce with a femme?" Summer asked again, gleaming eyes caught on Lightning in longing, enough to make him shiver.

"Y-Yeah." Jeshu fumbled over his person, "I-I have cards…" it took him a moment to remember they were on the table. Summer was already coming back for one. Jeshu passed it to her. "Here you go…"

"Thank you," Summer took it with another dazzling smile of hers. Jeshu gave them both a shy one back.

"I h-hope that works out for you. Th-thanks for stopping in!"

Summer gave the card to Lightning as they were leaving and the door closed behind them. Only after they left could Jeshu breathe easy again. Damn, what a day.


	16. Chapter 16

"That's amazing," Summer breathed, still taken over what Jeshu had informed them of. Two femmes able to reproduce—in the throes of love, no less.

"It is," Lightning admitted behind her, unraveling a slender white scroll of measuring tape, "But you never want to be one of the first batch who tests a new product. There's all kinds of side effects that can happen. If you have femmes in mind you want to impregnate you, I'd wait a little longer. Maybe a year. See if the medicine has any other side effects while they're still testing it." Lightning glanced at her in the mirror, then quickly lowered her eyes again, seemingly a little shy that she was braless before her. "I can keep you updated about it from here if you want to follow it."

"I would like that."

Lightning offered her sort of a smile that was more a nod than anything, then held up the white tape a little and said, "I'm going to measure you…"

Summer smiled at her hesitation. It struck her so odd that a strong, willful woman like Lightning would be shy of nudity, but it seemed she'd been trained that way. Or it was just Summer's nudity that was making her hesitate, which was something that amused her too. Lightning's eyes had strayed more than once since she arrived here; it was the first time Lightning saw her topless, and it was a temptation that pulled many Yuns in staring before. Lightning was no exception.

"Should I lift up my arms?" Summer asked, already starting to do so and was increasingly more amused when it drew back Lightning's eyes to her front—just for the second that she allowed them to. Lightning cleared her throat and lifted the cloth tape measure to her breasts.

She carefully started at Summer's front and drew the cloth measuring tape around her body back to her front. "Excuse me," Lightning mumbled as her fingers accidentally brushed a breast. Summer couldn't help a little smile at her utter politeness. Truth be told, it reminded her of Fang a little. "Not at all," Summer forgave as Lightning came around to her middle again, then realized another distressing situation as she could only look down at the tape to read the correct measurement around her breasts. Summer was increasingly charmed by her over-politeness. "Where are we at?" she asked as Lightning pulled up the nerve to stare down her breasts and body to fasten the measuring tape a little tighter.

"You're a 34, C…" Lightning told her, starting to gather up the tape measure and pull it away. "Almost a D."

"Is that good?" Summer asked, having no idea what their letters or numbers meant.

"Pretty much means you've got a small body and big breasts." Lightning informed, keeping her eyes down from Summer's bare front now.

"34 D, Claire?" Serah asked from outside the changing room, their assigned bra-fetcher to try them on.

"C, Serah," Lightning corrected with a shake of her head and just a glimpse up at Summer's face. "She'll be back in a moment. You can… put your arms down now."

Summer sat next to her on the little bench with a broad mirror behind it. "Fang must be a D, then," Summer mused allowed, "She's slightly bigger than me."

"You… thinking about buying Fang a bra?"

"Just thinking aloud." Summer checked over at Lightning and took in the other woman's chest at a glance. "What about you?" Summer asked, eyes lifting to Lightning's face. "What size are you?" Lightning looked at her like she was about to choke again and made a noise in the back of her throat. "Not something Cocoon women ask each other?" Summer supposed.

"Not often, no…"

"There are so many rules," Summer shook her head, leaning back to the mirror. "How do you function with all of them? Don't you feel trapped by all these restrictions?"

"Sometimes," Lightning admitted, "But they're not too terrible when you're used to them."

"They seem awfully confining," Summer countered with another glance her way. "You said women are supposed to wear bras here, yes?"

"That's one of our rules, yes."

"Are you wearing one now?" Lightning nodded and Summer frowned. "Would it be so terrible to go without?"

"People would probably stare."

"Don't they do that already?"

The corner of Lightning's mouth twitched, but her answer was sobered. "Cocoon's not so much a place you want the attention."

"There are some girls here that might suit you, yes? They cannot all be catty."

"I wonder sometimes."

"Hmm," Summer pondered, but before she could ask further, some uniquely strange tops were pushed under the door.

"Try those, Claire," Serah said from the other side of the door, "I'm looking through the panties for her now."

The comment drew Lightning's eyes to her waist where she stared a moment at Summer's jean-covered bottoms. Summer smiled, knowing exactly where her mind had gone. "We have panties in Gran Pulse, Lightning," Summer informed, drawing her eyes with a teasing little smile that spread across her lips with Lightning's pretty eyes. "I opt out of them when I can."

Lightning's pupils dilated a tiny fraction before she dropped her head back down. "We should get you dressed."

Summer found her adorable; precious, really, the way Lightning kept averting aroused eyes from her body. Summer had been having such a hard time holding back any and all flirtations of late, she'd slipped a little with Fang. It felt good again to flirt without those restraints or precautions, and Lightning was a lovely woman… too bad she was Cocoon. And not a stud, sadly. Summer glanced back at her as Lightning stooped to pick up the oddly-cut bra from the bench. Lightning would make a fine stud…

"These fit over your breasts," Lightning explained, holding up the cup-shaped pockets of material with a back-strap attached and two smaller string-like ties from the front. Summer gave both her and the material an eyebrow.

"You want to show me?" She asked, both genuinely curious how it worked and willing to ask because it flustered Lightning, something Summer was growing increasingly fond of.

"…Okay." Lightning nodded to the mirror. "Turn around." Summer smiled and did so, finding her and Lightning's reflections. Only a fraction of an inch shorter than her, Lightning stepped up to her back enticingly and reached around her front with the bra. "It goes on like this…" Lightning demonstrated, holding the cup-like shells up to her breasts without pressuring, but made another noise in her throat Summer associated with Fang walking in on her fresh from the shower. "Hold it there."

She probably meant the cloth, but all this touching-but-not-touching was making Summer hot. Teasing Lightning was fun, but Summer's cravings had started, and there was little stopping those. Lightning seemed willing; and Summer hadn't had a beautiful woman in so long… she lifted her hand and pressed it over Lightning's to her breast, only the thin material separating them. "Like that?" Summer asked in question, eyes tracing Lightning through their reflections in the mirror.

Lightning didn't move her hand. Instead, she looked down Summer's body a moment, then her eyes flickered up to catch Summer's in the mirror, who smiled warmly to her pretty blue eyes. Summer's favorite was green, but Lightning's were pretty too. A bit clearer than Sky's, more crystalline, but just as piercing. Summer could favor eyes like that for a while. She lifted her chin to gaze back up at her directly and found those pretty blues staring down at her already. "Lightning?" she asked, but Lightning didn't speak or couldn't. Summer turned in her arms, giving her hand opportunity to drop, but it didn't. It settled on her back instead and made Summer smile. She could see how affected Lightning was just touching her, which pleased her. Summer wasn't the only one turned on.

Lifting a hand to Lightning's cheek, Summer's fingers stroked her skin there. It was soft as a Yun's should be to graze. Summer's lips formed a smile of their own for Lightning, who'd dissolved into the same longing that'd taken Summer over her. "Do you want to?"

Lightning looked at her with conflicted eyes, half yearning. "Aren't you… pursuing Fang?"

Is that what was holding her back? "No, Lightning," Summer started to lean in for her, "I'm not." Lips almost grazing, someone at the open door made a sound.

"I keep debating whether I should interrupt or not." Lightning's head lifted in an instant, eyes snapping to full attention on Serah in the doorway of the changing room. "I thought, for Claire's sake, I probably should. You two can go ahead and kiss if I'm wrong."

Summer started to draw Lightning back to her at once, but Lightning stiffened with another clearing of her throat. "Serah. You should— "

"Finish this job for you?" Serah asked with a wry smile.

Lightning looked at Summer, top-naked and warm in her arms that'd both settled on her smooth back so comfortably. "Summer…"

"She's right?" Summer's eyes and lips creased in a disappointed frown, but she stepped back from Lightning, whose hands reluctantly dropped from her back as she averted her eyes again.

"I'm sorry," Lightning apologized, head down as she said it with her gaze on the ground. "I…" Lightning must've realized she didn't have a reason then, because she let the sentence hang after. "Sorry," Lightning murmured again.

"Why?" Summer asked, disappointed, but it was for the best if Lightning didn't want to. Serah came in with a small smile to help Summer with the bra top. "You weren't the one teasing me."

"It just… seems like a sin to tell you no," Lightning mumbled, which made Summer smile a little, even if she hadn't been allowed to jump taste Lightning's lips.

"I'm sorry if that was too forward for you. I'm afraid my fallow is approaching soon, and I haven't had a child for three years since Ember. The urge to procreate with you is incredibly strong, Lightning."

"What?"

"That man said we could," Summer reminded, "And now I can't stop thinking about it. I'm craving children; and you're just so beautiful. I'd love children with that shade of hair; and your jaw is very strong, Lightning."

Lightning's eyes had gone wide again on Summer. Summer detected her discomfort. "Am I doing it again? I'm sorry, Lightning. I don't mean to arouse you."

Serah snickered as she pulled back the clasps around Summer's back, who's breath hitched a little at the tight squeeze. Summer frowned down at her chest and touched the padded material covering it. There was something hard underneath supporting it and it wasn't comfortable at all. "Claire doesn't know what a fallow is." Serah commented, making Summer blink as her eyes rose abruptly.

"What?" Summer asked in confusion. "Do you not have your own fallows?"

"We sort of do," Serah told her, only further confusing Summer. "They're a little different and we call them something else."

"Spasms?" Summer supposed, looking for recognition in Lightning's face and seeing only concern. "Or cycles?"

"Oh," That one registered. "You mean menstruation."

"Sort of. It's not menstruation for them, though." Serah offered, apparently done at her back as the bra held up against her chest by itself. Summer wasn't liking it at all. She started to pick at the straps. "Ours happens every month, Summer," Serah explained, making Summer's eyes pop.

"Six times a year?"

"Twelve." Serah corrected, "The Cocoon calendar has twelve months."

Summer looked at Lightning in renewed respect. It was horrible having fallows only three times a year; she couldn't imagine twelve. Lightning must feel so hot all the time, it was a wonder she'd never gotten pregnant before. "How do you cope with that?"

"Well, ours are different," Serah continued to explain, "We don't… spasm or are put out of commission. We just sort of get cramps and bleed."

"Bleed?" Summer asked, startled.

"Out the vagina, yes."

"What?!"

"You might've smelled me a few times on mine," Serah offered. "Sometimes it's painful, but otherwise, we just bloat up till the end of the month, then we bleed out."

"It sounds awful."

"Can someone tell me what a fallow is and why Summer is surprised we bleed?"

Serah smiled her sister's way with a little blush. "I'm not really an expert on it; Hawke just told me some things… You can explain it to her better, Summer."

"A fallow happens when a femme hasn't been impregnated with a Yuns' seed." Summer explained like she had to her eldest child, "It happens 3 times a year if a femme remains barren for all that time, and when it does, we go into painful fits, sometimes spasms. It puts us out of commission for a time. We don't… bleed or anything, but it's quite painful. A fallow is our bodies telling us they're ready to hold children again. And for about a half a month before it happens, we become sexually hyper and sensitive to the craving of children. It may be why I'm finding you so irresistible right now, but you are very beautiful, Lightning. Fallow or not."

"Thank you… " Lightning said with a glance, then, "You shouldn't pick at that, Summer."

"It's uncomfortable," Summer thumbed it, trying to make it more so.

"Fang always had trouble with my bra too," Lightning offered kindly. "She could never get it off without breaking it."

"I still don't understand the purpose of this." Summer claimed, tugging at it here and there.

"Most women wear them to keep their boobs from hanging."

"Whatever for?" Summer asked, only further confused by that. "Swollen breasts are usually a sign of pregnancy; do your women not find that attractive?"

"Not in most cases." Lightning said, startling Summer, then added, perhaps seeing Summer's shock. "We have weird and messed up values here. Try not to be offended."

"Studs find heavy breasts attractive." Summer gazed back at the mirror where the clothy bra still covered her in uncomfortable manners. She picked at it again. "Can I take this off now? I don't like it."

"Well…" Lightning gave her a sideways glance. "We should get you at least one in case we go somewhere especially nice, but… maybe we can check out the sports bras for her, Serah."

"I can fetch those," Serah nodded, volunteering, then gave Lightning a smile. "You going to be okay without me?" Lightning swatted her gently out.

"More bras?" Summer asked, not liking the sound of that.

"Modified bras," Lightning shared, "Sort of like the tops you wear already; they just go under your clothes."

Summer looked back in the mirror, a tad unhappy, and asked. "I have to wear them everywhere, all the time?"

"When we go out somewhere, yes. But you can take them off when you get home. And Lebreau's right… if you're so uncomfortable when we're out and need a break… you don't have to wear anything at the house."

The corner of Summer's mouth lifted, both appreciative of the understanding offer of her culture and of Lightning's relenting. "You're tempting me, Lightning."

Lightning gave her a little worn smile back. "Call me Light."

_SNAP!_

"Oh!" Summer cried out, more startled than hurt as the corner of the material Summer had been pulling at tore and pinched her skin where the remainder of it snapped back. Lightning came forward quick to pull back the broken pieces away.

"Are you okay?" Lightning asked, fingers pressing over the spot on her back that the clasp had pinched.

"Yes, it… startled me, is all."

Lightning discarded the broken bra to a corner near their bag with the Jumbo dildo, smiling softly as she said. "Try not to play with the next one so much."

**XXX**

"Anya's overjoyed to be cooking so much for Fang again," Serah went on, "She's eating like a starved behemoth, even more than Hawke does. Anya's really pleased with it, and even Jaeger's started to joke Fang's going to get soft and flabby at the rate she's going. Those two are really something, you know. Jaeger teases her to no end, and Fang usually gets all grumpy and tells her she's going to kick Jaeger's ass. And Jaeger's still all cocky about it because Fang hasn't come into all her strength again yet. They actually wrestled over it once! Anya just sighed in watching them, but you could tell that she was happy. I guess that's a sort of norm for them, and it's been a long while that Anya's seen them reaching that medium with each other again."

Lightning returned to the bed with a few folded clothes in hand. She sat beside Serah, genuinely happy to hear Serah rambling to her again. Her letters were the best parts of Lightning's day already, but she'd almost forgotten how much she liked to sit and listen to Serah go on about her day or work or anything that was going on in her life. "It sounds like they're all coming around."

"They are," Serah shared with a nod, "Fang's arm looks so much better too, Claire. The depression of her skin is so light now, it won't even hold clumpweed anymore. And Fang's been working out with it, going completely without the bandage at all. It's really looking up for all of us over there; you were right. It's really getting better, now that Fang's healing is coming around."

"I'm glad," Lightning said and meant it; the whole family sounded like they'd turned a corner for the better of late. "You're still trying to help Anya out, I hope?"

"I am," Serah assured, "There's plenty of cooking to be done now that Fang's eating like a wolf again, and I try to keep up with the house. Summer's been letting me watch her kids quite a bit now too. And… Anya really appreciated that letter you sent, Claire." Serah added. "I didn't open it, but you must've written it in Pulseskrit for her to have been able to read it. I didn't even know you were studying their written language."

"Just a little here and there," Lightning admitted, "It gives me something to do in off time, and it might be nice if Fang can read and write directly without you acting as a translator for our letters."

"That's sweet of you, Claire. Fang would probably really like that."

"Don't be so sure," Lightning corrected with a fond expression, "Fang probably likes that you do all the work writing for her. I can't see her sitting still all that long."

"She would for you," Serah volunteered, and it warmed Lightning a little to hear. "She talks about you a lot, Claire. Really wanted to come too, but you know…"

"It's okay, Serah," Lightning eased about the tentative situation with Jaeger, "I'm glad to hear she's doing better. That's enough for me." Serah's eyes were sad, but there wasn't anything else Lightning could really say to ease her. She tried to comfort her sister with a rub to her arm before she stood. "I'm going to take a shower. Keep an eye on Summer for me, okay?"

Serah's face lifted a little at the mention of their guest companion. "You sure you don't want me to ask her to join you?"

"Oh, shush, you," Lightning ruffled her hair at the tease. "I don't wake up surrounded by beautiful women anymore. Give your sister a little slack."

"Should I have kept quiet in the changing room?" Serah smiled a little more and Lightning hugged her, not embarrassed, just happy to have Serah home again.

"I missed you," Lightning only told her in response. Serah hugged her back just as warmly. "When I get out of the shower," Lightning told her, letting go, even though it felt so wonderful to be held again. "We'll do something. A board game, a late drive, whatever you want, okay?"

"Okay, Claire." Serah agreed, then half smiled. "I'm happy to be with you again too."

'With you,' Lightning silently thought on her way to the shower, but not 'home.' Serah already considered Gran Pulse her new home. It was what she'd wanted, but it struck a chord so close to Lightning's heart, it shook her. Serah was theirs now. As the warm water rushed over her, Lightning had to remind herself it was in Serah's best interests that she forfeit her. Serah had a girlfriend and a real family in Gran Pulse, more wholesome than what Lightning could provide. She was happy there. And she'd always visit her when she could, like a distant relative on another world.

It barely helped the sting.

**XXX**

Lightning looked at herself in the mirror, unused to such a comfortably casual state of dress like this. In the Guardian Corps bootcamp, the only time she'd been allowed out of uniform was at night, and the clothes weren't so elaborate to be comfortable then, just functional. Much like moving back to a real bed with covers, Lightning found the readjustment off in many ways. It must've been similar to how Summer felt when trying a bra, she reckoned.

After fixing her hair back the way it usually settled, Lightning put her dirty clothes to the bathroom, closet laundry and put the dirty towels in the one next store to it. Though it wasn't altogether too late, she wondered if Serah had fallen asleep in the other room. It was pretty quiet, and long car rides had always tired her out before. They still had so much to talk about. They hadn't even grazed the subject of Hawke yet, not really, and Lightning wanted to know more about the prospect of Serah's archeology and historical artifacts to learn what she might eventually be capable of starting down there, once the side effect of Serah's relation to her had simmered with time. Serah hadn't been able to take up the first offer Hawke had made since the family moved out of Paddra, but she'd reassured her things would change once she found herself a clan to settle with. Serah spoke often of the different clans in explaining them to Lightning; Lightning thought she sounded Croft, but Serah still hadn't yet decided.

Lightning hoped she wasn't sleeping yet. She wanted to value every moment she had Serah this week.

Stepping out of the bathroom, Lightning opened the door to her bedroom and stopped short.

Serah wasn't sleeping yet. She was lying on the bed stark naked with a book casually propped up on her lap. When she heard the door open to the bedroom again, Serah sat up with a greeting smile, "Oh, Claire! You're done! You always took long baths and showers; I'm glad you still enjoy them after the GC."

Lightning blinked. She had expected –and braced for—something like this from Summer. She hadn't expected the same of her shy sister.

"Oh!" Serah realized when Lightning stared too long in shock. "I had to wash all the clothes we pulled out of the boxes. Some of them were smelly; so, I'm waiting on that to dress."

"I see…" Lightning's brow furrowed in staring at her. Serah seemed a little different. From how she came just a little taller up standing next to Lightning to a… maturing? Of her face. She didn't look so young anymore with her slender body. And what the— "Are you growing boobs?" Lightning asked, eyes redirected to Serah's chest that wasn't fully flat anymore, but had small, blossoming little breast pockets. At this, Serah blushed.

"I've always had these!"

"No, you haven't." Lightning countered, crossing over to the end of the bed. "Your breasts have never stuck out that much."

"You usually see them clothed, is all," Serah defended, cheeks a little red. "Besides, Hawke says that bras restrict breast growth. They probably just look a little bigger because I haven't been wearing them and trapping my boobs."

"Serah, there is no logic behind that." Lightning shook her head, "And you do look taller. You're hitting a growth spurt or something."

"Maybe Hawke's maturing me."

Lightning cradled her head. "Hawke also going to be responsible when you start to grow pubic hair?"

"Claire!" Serah squeaked, cherry-faced. She smacked her back, reminding Lightning of the shyer girl Lightning remembered who blushed about being underdeveloped. Except now, she was still naked.

"That's how ridiculous that sounded."

"Oh, be quiet. You're still terrible, Claire! Besides, I'm normal to Yuns. They don't grow hair down there. You're the one they'd find goofy. Didn't Fang find that weird?"

"Fang didn't know."

"Didn't know? What do you mean, she didn't know? You two had sex all the time! Unless you—oh," Serah's eyebrows lifted at her. "You wax?"

"Is this what Yuns talk about between family members all the time?"

"I'm just curious. Isn't that supposed to hurt? I haven't seen you walking funny from it."

"The secrets of a woman, Serah."

"Are you waxed now?"

Lightning quirked an eyebrow. "Why are we still discussing this?"

"Well, I don't know. I guess they didn't have waxing stations between hours at bootcamp, then. I bet Summer would find it interesting if you told her."

"If I told her about my pubic hair." Lightning repeated. What had they done to her shy little sister over there? It was incredible how much more talkative Serah was about these things where she otherwise would've sat blushing like a cherry.

"Not about yours," Serah scoffed, "Just that they have it. Don't you find that weird that Fang doesn't know that when she dated you?"

"Not really, no."

"Well, I think you should tell Summer."

"To what end…?"

Serah gave her sister a little smirk again. "Well, she's going to need a warning with you fresh outta boot camp. Before she jumps you would be polite."

"I would tackle you to the bed if you weren't naked right now."

"See how handy it is?" Serah laughed.

A single knock to the door echoed before it pushed in with a questioning, "Lightning?"

Lightning glanced up along with Serah to be blinded with a beautifully flawless, wholly woman, tan, naked body beneath the most gorgeous of faces. Her libido sky-rocketed. "Eden!" Lightning cursed, dropping her head to her hands to keep from staring. With talking to her naked sister, she hadn't properly braced for Summer. But by God, the woman was fucking gorgeous. "Shit."

Serah giggled.

"Sorry to disturb you," Summer apologized, coming in, "I wondered if you could help me, Light. I can't seem to figure out how to turn this on…" Oh shit. She didn't mean… but when Lightning finally lifted her eyes again, she saw it. A wonderfully naked Summer with a huge, blue dildo in hand. Amazing. Lightning didn't even have a dick, and that jerked in her stomach.

Serah barely kept from laughing outright. "Bring it over here, Summer. I'm sure Claire can help."

"I'm going to kill you." Lightning mumbled.

"Is this a bad time?" Summer asked. "I can come back."

"Please don't. Summer, come here," Lightning summoned over, drawing the godly-gorgeous woman closer and held out her hand.

"Here," Summer handed it to her shamelessly. "The instructions are all in Cocoon, but the picture shows these little cylinders slipping into the base some way?"

"Those are the batteries." Lightning explained, numbly handling it in the wake of two naked women in her bedroom, one of close relation. "They power it to vibrate." Lightning slipped them in correctly and re-covered the bottom. She pointed to a little switch on it, doing her best not to look up at any part of Summer from her perfect body and hips to round, gravity-defying breasts which were pretty prominent at the moment. "You flick the switch like this," she demonstrated, and the dildo began to vibrate.

"Oh!" Summer jumped a little in surprise. "Oh, I didn't know it would work like that! It does that all by itself?" She took it from Lightning reverently like she might hurt the piece and clamped her hand around it.

"Yeah…"

"Do men's dicks move like this?"

"No, that's… that's just the design."

"Oh," Summer chuckled, "Oh, that's firm. How delightful. Thank you, Light."

"No problem," Lightning mumbled, already plagued with the images of what Summer intended to do with herself with it.

"Are you sure you won't join me with that attachable strap piece?" Summer asked, "It's no shame to be aroused, Lightning. I'm rather excited to try it too."

Serah sniggered.

"That's okay. You, uh," Lightning cleared her throat. "Have fun with it, Summer. And close the bedroom door."

"Oh, if you don't join me, I'll be in the bathroom," Summer told her with a smile, "Lebreau tells me it's waterproof. Maybe when I've learned it a little more, we can try, Lightning."

"Maybe." Lightning mumbled because her mind was frying with the ridiculously sexy things Summer was speaking, and because she just might take Summer up on the offer if she continued to stand there.

"See you in a few hours, Summer!" Serah bid goodbye. Lightning shook her head in her hands. The door closed behind Summer, and she looked up again to see Serah giving her a shit-eating grin. "Hmm, Claire?"

"Oh, shut up, Serah."


	17. Chapter 17

**Smilodon, 43**

**XXX**

Lightning woke to a new, sizzling aroma of cooking meat that smelled delicious. She blinked first at Serah's pink head in front of her, not used to waking up with a partner before a contentment took her at Serah's presence. She didn't wake her. It was still incredibly early; Lightning's body hadn't yet readjusted from six AM morning wakeup during bootcamp, but she still smelled something cooking. What was that? Lebreau couldn't possibly be up this early after night shift, and Serah liked to sleep in. Or she did five months ago, at least. Crawling carefully out of bed to keep from disturbing her, Lightning pulled out of bed to investigate the intoxicating smell. She didn't have to go far to find out.

"Summer?" Lightning blinked when she reached the kitchen, finding the Yun dressed in her usual, casualwear today of a tight bra top and jeans. Standing over the stove looking gorgeous as ever, Summer pan-cooked sizzling omelets. She already had a small plate of them going and currently fried up her sixth to add to it. At the sound of another voice, Summer looked her way with a pleasant smile.

"Oh, hello Lightning. Good morning. Do you know how incredible this stove is? It makes heat instantly with the turn of a switch! I didn't even have to build a fire for it."

Lightning scratched at the back of her neck. "Yes, it's electric. It does that for you."

"It's wonderful," Summer said, clearly pleased with the stove. "What a fantastic invention. Look, I can cook up to four things at once!"

Lightning stepped up to the Yun, a little amused. Indeed, Summer had more than one pan sizzling away. Her current one had an omelet. The back stove had bacon, and on a third, she toasted bread. "Oh, Summer," Lightning almost chuckled, picking at the bread. "These go in the toaster. It'll do the same thing."

"The… toaster?"

Lightning showed her, putting them in. "In a minute, they'll come out done." Lightning promised, though Summer seemed too awed or skeptical at first glance.

"It crisps them up?"

"Yes."

"Correctly?"

"They'll be good," Lightning promised, then glanced back to her cooking food. "What prompted breakfast?"

"Oh," Summer smiled graciously again. Lightning couldn't help thinking how much it fit her beautiful face to do that. "I'm up cooking for the kids all the time. When I woke up, everyone was still sleeping, so I figured I'd start breakfast for us."

"How long have you been up?"

Summer actually seemed a little embarrassed by the question and it made her even prettier somehow. Lightning really couldn't get over how lovely she was. "Since five," Summer admitted, then glanced at the huge meal she'd been making for everyone. "It took me a little while to figure out this machine."

She'd done it well, Lightning silently thought. Fang might've burned the house down if presented with a Cocoon stovetop. "It smells delicious," Lightning complimented truthfully, earning another smile that utterly dissolved the shyness from Summer's face.

"Thank you."

_Ding! _Summer startled a little in surprise at the toaster's noise. "It's okay," Lightning assured, removing the cooked bread to show Summer. "That means the toast is done."

"Incredible," Summer said when she saw it and touched at the toast. "It's fully cooked throughout!"

"I'll help you finish up here," Lightning volunteered, taking the toast back to the table and covering it for now until the rest of the household woke up.

"I don't know all about this electric thing," Summer commented, "But it has powered some amazing inventions, Lightning. Even that penis you bought me was incredible. I half wish Yuns could vibrate like that."

"There is another toy for that," Lightning informed, half used to her curious demeanor already.

"Really?" Summer asked in pleased shock, "That will vibrate a penis?"

"Yes."

"Lightning, that's incredible. Your people have put this power to such good use. These lights, this stove and oven, bettering people's sexual pleasures… for being such a reserved population, Cocoon has done some things right with these."

"I'm glad you think so," Summer's fascination with their things made Lightning naturally compare her reactions to Fang. The two were very different about that. Lightning's lips twitched a little in memory of her Yun friend, "You know, Fang never understood our inventions. She didn't like them much."

"Fang's stubborn," Summer waved off as Lightning took the bacon to fry it beside her, "Most Yuns are about Cocoon. We don't like Cocoon much after the War of the Worlds."

"From 300 years ago?"

"We can hold a grudge," Summer explained, offering Lightning an apologetic smile. "And as Serah's informed me, our lifespans our much longer than Cocoon's if we live out fully. Most of us don't, but some of us still had parents and grandparents from that war. They don't speak highly of Cocoon coming in with your machines to conquer."

"I see…" Nobody would really appreciate such a thing, Lightning reckoned, but Cocoon largely hadn't known about Gran Pulse's people back then. They'd thought them all savages. Some people still did, calling them the savage beauties of the wild. Gran Pulse had a reputation for these things, and glancing to the woman beside her as Summer checked the oven, where she'd apparently put a big slab of ham in, Lightning could easily tell why they were often spoken of this way. Simply put, Gran Pulse had everything to be jealous of in the way of their people and populations; maybe they lacked inventions, but they were damn happy in their own little paradise. Cocoon had always tried to ruin that. Up until Fang had come in and shown her her home, speaking with such pride, revealing their customs, Lightning may well have been one of those ignorant Cocoonians.

Summer's lips twitched as she cooked on the stovetop. "I remember the last time we were in a kitchen together, Light."

Lightning recalled the fight that'd almost come to fists too. "Sorry about that," she apologized because it felt like she should. Summer had instigated most of their encounters back then, but looking back at what'd happened after, Lightning couldn't help but wish she'd been a little more successful in aggravating her out of Fang's home. Then again, she wouldn't have the seemingly-all-too brief times with Fang that rivaled even her best of memories with Serah, but if it could've spared her what'd happened, Lightning would give up those memories in a second for Fang.

"Why are you always apologizing to me? I was the horrible one; I was going to apologize for the way I treated you."

That seemed unnecessary, as Summer's attempted protection had proved itself. "You were right, though."

"About Cocoon, maybe." Summer admitted, "I wasn't right about you." Lightning glanced over in surprise where Summer's amber-drizzled, mahogany eyes were already on her and met. "Fang's told us what really happened a dozen times over now. I know it wasn't your fault, Light."

It hit Lightning strong that Summer would say that, but she wasn't right about it all. Fang's version of the story must've colored her a little better than the actual truth. Lightning averted her eyes from the Yun. "I let it happen," she cut into an innocent, frying bacon a little roughly with the grabbers on her next flipping. "And I kicked Fang out. She needed someone, and I put her out there alone."

"Lightning," Summer's hand unexpectedly touched her arm, and Lightning dropped the grabbers abruptly as she turned to her. "You blame yourself as much as Fang does, don't you?"

"It wouldn't have happened without me."

"It wouldn't have happened without Fang, either, throwing her heart on the line as she does. Does that mean we should blame her too?" Lightning opened her mouth to protest, for none of it was Fang's fault, she'd been innocent in all of it and unknowing how to handle it, but Summer held up a hand to silence her first. "I know you had to protect Serah, Light. You were stuck in it as much as she was. Fang told me how you tried to trade yourself in for her. She told us about how she treated you too, and how you stayed and tried to support her night after night. Even after she tried to force you…"

Lightning's mind zipped back to that night. Beyond everything, even that awful tape, it was the worst memory of all of it that she had with Fang. How Fang had drunkenly stumbled in, accusing her of cheating, and hit her. She'd been utterly helpless to defend herself against Fang's great strength. The same way Candice had been helpless with Noel. The same way Fang must've felt with Jihl. The one and only time Lightning had confessed her love, Fang had tried to…

"Lightning," Summer summoned her back with golden-flecked eyes that pierced into her fears, but were soft. Lightning found herself facing the woman now, with her back increasingly nearing the wall. Lightning was quickly burying the crush of Fang's actions back into the recess of her mind. It had been the single, most horrible fluke of an outcome from her situation and she hated going back to it. There were so many good things about Fang; that single, awful occurrence could spoil them all. Lightning didn't want to confront it. "I'm here if you need someone. I'm not Fang or Serah or close to you like Lebreau. I can listen if you need it."

"I don't," Lightning said, covering her fears of that night with dirt that shouldn't be lifted. It was too exposing to, and the whole thing had been an accident born out a situation she had created. Fang had done it, but she wasn't truly like that. Jihl had twisted her that way.

"Everyone needs someone, Light." Summer leaned in and wrapped Lightning in a hug unexpectedly. Her arms around her just felt so warm and inviting, it almost matched the warm uplifting she felt when Serah hugged her, or… that long ago ghost feeling of Fang. Summer's arms were strong like Fang's; she could feel her body and muscles around her, holding gently in embrace. Lightning didn't realize how much she missed it until Summer had her in her arms. Almost unconsciously, Lightning's arm traced up Fang's smooth one, guilty of liking this much too much, but Fang's tattoo wasn't there. It wasn't Fang, Lightning had to remind herself. Did all Yuns have this ability to make her feel safe like this, more than contented in strong, warm arms? No wonder Serah loved Hawke so much when she always went to bed with this. "My offer stands," Summer told her quietly, privately for Lightning.

"Thanks," Lightning mumbled as she pulled away, blushing a little because she wasn't the hugging type. She'd only ever hugged Serah before these damn Yuns came in, making her all kinds of comfortable being intimidate with strangers. Anya, Fang, Summer, damn, even Jaeger, when she hadn't hated her guts. Damn these Yuns and their Yun Effect they all had!

"You two. Are beautiful!" An excited voice behind them squeaked.

"She just came in," Summer assured quietly.

"Can you scoot back together? I need a picture of this shit. Please stay right there!"

"Lebreau," Lightning groaned, two seconds before a snap flash was taken of them.

"Come on, Light! Look happier like you were!"

"Sit down," Lightning grumbled, returning to the couple of bacon pieces she'd left that were extra crispy now. "We made breakfast."

"Two beautiful women serving _me _breakfast? I am rarely so treated!"

Summer smiled graciously as she began to bring the omelets over. "I have a feeling you'd love Gran Pulse, Lebreau."

"Oh man; for my birthday, Light?" Lightning just shook her head. "I should mention it to Serah," Lebreau mused, "Thank you!" she said as Summer gave her an omelet. "Where is Serah, anyway?"

"Still sleeping,"

"She likes to sleep in," Summer commented, sitting to breakfast with them, "Usually wakes up along the same time my kids do."

"Kid_s_?" Lebreau asked, eyes loving to stick on Summer. "There are more of you?"

Lightning quirked an eyebrow at her warningly, "They're children, Lebreau."

"How young?"

"Uhh," someone moaned from behind Lightning; she turned to see her sister there in pajamas. "I'm up," Serah announced, looking around the table at all of them. "What time is it?"

"7:15."

"No wonder it feels like I haven't slept." Serah slumped down into the fourth chair, eyes sleepy and tired until food was directed her way. "Did you make breakfast, Claire?"

"Summer did."

"Oh, thank you," Serah smile easily, taking a small portion. "Do we have an agenda yet this morning, Claire?"

"Not yet," Lightning confessed; "I planned to go apartment shopping sometime this week if you wanted to come to that, but otherwise, we can figure out something to do today."

"Ooh, I do want to help pick out your new home," Serah cooed, "But first! We should show Summer the town! I want to see it too. And ohh, Claire, it's been so long; can we go to a movie too? I miss seeing things on the big screen!"

"Movie?" Summer asked.

"Like the television in the living room," Lightning nodded in the direction of the television she'd been playing on yesterday. "Just bigger."

"It's realllly nice, Summer," Serah told her, obviously moved by the idea to take them. "You get to sit in these comfortable chairs and eat overpriced, but delicious popcorn and enjoy the film. Oh, studs!"

"Oh, studs?" Lightning quirked an eyebrow. Serah blushed a little.

"It's like, 'oh, man.'"

Lightning shook her head. "We can go touring, but I don't know the town much either."

"Lebreau can guide us!" Serah volunteered, then looked to her in asking, "Can you, Lebreau? I know you start work at three, but- "

"Touring the city with three beautiful girls, I can manage, Serah." Lebreau winked her way. "I'll take you to the nice places. You don't have to worry about that."

"Thank you, Lebreau," Summer thanked graciously.

"Oh, you are _most _welcome, love. Most welcome."

**XXX**

It was early afternoon by the time Lebreau left them. Lightning stood in the movie hall for tickets and nodded up at the screen. "What do you want to watch?"

"I don't read Cocoon scripts,"

"Right," Lightning remembered, glancing back at the movie list. "Well, they've got action movies, romance, adventure, humor..."

"What do you think I'd like?" Summer asked, and Lightning almost stilled at how sexy she made the question sound.

"I'll pick out our movie." Serah volunteered from the side, drawing Lightning's wary eyes. "I'll make it good," Serah promised. "Why don't you get popcorn with Summer so we can get our seats faster, Claire?"

Lightning eyed her suspiciously, but Serah only smiled innocently. "Okay," Lightning waved Summer along. "Let's go wait in line, Summer."

"They're selling popcorn?" Summer asked, recognizing it as they moved over to the other line. "It smells wonderful."

Lightning imagined it would to her sensitive senses. "We'll get some," she promised, then explained, "It's customary of movie-watching to sit down with a snack of them."

"Ohh," Summer nodded, "Another tradition, I see."

"She's the one! Lightning, the bitch!" someone in line whispered, loud enough for Lightning to hear. Certainly loud enough for Summer, as her brows drew together, bothered by it.

"I can't stand how popular she is," the other female voice answered, giving her a glare from two people away. "A celebrity dyke. What is this world coming to?"

"It's those Pulse beasts they keep inviting into our home," the other agreed solemnly. "They're plaguing our world with their lesbianism. The savages."

Seeing how much it increasingly bothered her, Lightning stepped towards her to caution Summer, but Summer stepped up to her too. "Lightning," Summer spoke, lips right over her ear. "Let's show them dykes." Hands slid around her waist. When Summer pulled her head back to take in Lightning's reaction, Lightning couldn't help the little twitch of her lips, a smile tugging at them. With her hands around her hips, resting just above Lightning's ass, and that look in Summer's eye, half questioning, half wanton, Lightning knew what she meant and intended. And it was good; a much better reaction than going after the woman like yesterday, so Lightning obliged her and leaned in to kiss.

Summer didn't waste a second of it. Meeting Lightning halfway, her grip tightened around Lightning's back to pull her in soundly against her body. Their lips crushed, and Summer felt anxious. Lightning had her in her arms before she even realized it as their lips made sweet love to each other. It almost startled her, how great Summer felt, but on further thought, she would've dismissed it as 'should've known,' but Summer felt too wonderful to think that far right now. Goddamn, she was beautiful. Those lips were making Lightning shiver and warm. Eden, what a woman she was.

Lightning didn't realize how tight her own fingers had become curling into Summer's back until she pulled away. With those startling eyes of amber and mahogany brown looking at her that way, Lightning almost pulled her right back. Summer's sneaky hand found its way to her cheek seconds after and cupped Lightning's skin, making it warm under her hand. "Thank you, love." Summer voiced, then dropped her fingers into her hand as she glanced to the counter then. "Oh, look. Line's moved up."

Damn, what a woman she was. Lightning didn't even care that they were getting stares or that the two women who'd spoken before were now openly gawking at them. If she'd remembered kisses tasting that good, she would've kissed Summer before. Even her heart pumped harder now; all on the go, thrilled a little far.

Lightning had to find her voice when they reached the counter after, the young woman behind it not taking her eyes off them. "Can I... help you?"

"Popcorn," Lightning finally managed when her mind cleared enough to process.

"Popcorn," the counter woman repeated, a brunette with pretty eyes. Sort of looked a bit like Summer, but Lightning would bet she couldn't kiss as well. Damn, what'd Summer done to her head? Lightning shook it to clear.

"Do you like it large or..." the woman leaned onto the counter, displaying bountiful breasts out the top of a tank. "Extra large, if you know what I mean," she gave both Lightning and Summer eyes, "I recommend extra large if you travel in parties of three"

Lightning quirked an eyebrow, but when she glanced at Summer, she found her beaming. "We'll take the extra," Summer confirmed, winding an arm around Lightning's hips. Her hand casually rested there. "Never hurts to have a little more."

"I like the way you think," the brunette winked at her. "Both of you wait there a moment. I'll take care of you girls."

Lightning shared a look with her. "Having fun?"

"I am." Summer smiled, beautiful as ever wearing it. "Are you?"

"You don't see me moving your arm."

Summer lifted an amused, happy eyebrow back. "I don't."

"Then turn around and keep flirting." Lightning ordered, moving in closer to Summer with that twitching smile. "Just don't drop your arm."

"I like it when you talk like that," Summer purred, strong arm tight around her.

"My name's Steph," the counter girl told on her return, sliding their popcorn across. They found a note under it when Lightning picked it up with various digits scrawled out. "Call me anytime."

As they began walking away, Summer nodded to the little note, still not letting go of Lightning. "That's her phone number?"

"It's how girls flirt in Cocoon," Lightning informed, "Giving their numbers. That one would probably do us without a date."

"Ooh, like a Yun," Summer cooed. "I would do her with you, Lightning."

"I'm flattered," Lightning kissed the side of her head where her hair covered briefly. "Now, let's get you inside before you cause another scene."

"If you say so, Lightning."

**XXX**

"This is incredible," Summer breathed in awe. Her breath caught when the lights all around them started to dim. "Lightning!" she reached for Lightning's arm to grab and hold.

Lightning chuckled quietly. "They do that before the movie starts." she gestured to the widescreen that'd gone dark, unmuted now with the break to their movie show.

"Wow," Summer took in a breath. "It's about to begin?"

The screen opened up on the intro Liberty Lion, who roared for all the audience to hear. Summer winced when it did, a soft, "Oh!" escaping.

"You alright?" Lightning asked as she straightened in the seat.

"Yes, that just... startled me a little."

Lightning offered her a little smile. "The pictures are going to move at you- the same way they moved in the game."

"Okay," Summer agreed softly, settling in in preparation. The screen flicked again to someone running on pavement with harsh breaths being taken. The title scrolled _Girl Meets Girl_, and Lightning couldn't help an eyeroll. A chick flick from Serah, of course. She might've thought it better being between two girls, but Lightning already recognized the main girl from her other movies. Oh boy. Summer would probably get bored with this too. At her left, Serah gave her a broad smile at the title flashing, then eyed Summer after in indication. Lightning swatted at her lightly.

"Shh, you."

And Serah just grinned all the more. Shaking her head, Lightning glanced at their guest again to see her blinking at the screen a bit. She twitched when a car pulled up beside their runner girl. "Who's that girl?" Summer asked Lightning loudly, turning her way to address.

"Shh," Lightning hushed, speaking quiet in turn. "She's the main character the story will be following mostly."

"Oh. Like a book with pictures, then?"

"Sort of, yes."

Summer still hadn't turned to look back, but went for the popcorn in Lightning's lap instead. She took one piece, cringed once more in her seat, then popped it into her mouth and made a face like it was the most delicious thing in the world. "Oh, Lightning," Summer let out a soft moan.

"You like it?" Lightning asked, scooting it a little closer to her. "Here," placing it in her lap momentarily, Lightning found the middle divider's button and lowered the dividing seat rail from between them.

"Oh!" Summer cried in surprise again, kind of loud. "It lowers, Light!"

"Shh," Lightning hushed her again with a little chuckle, "You have to be quieter, Summer. Other people don't like it when you talk too loud in a theater."

"Oh," Summer said softer, "Okay." With the divider down, Summer scooted a little closer to Lightning and took another kernal of popcorn. "This is delicious, Lightning."

"I'm glad you like it," Lightning admitted. Summer took another piece as she turned her eyes back to the screen to watch. Lightning had already lost interest in it, finding the woman beside her much more fascinating than the movie to look at and watch. Summer kept her eyes on screen for another few moments, listening in, and fidgeted a bit. She moved a little closer to Lightning again, then started to blink once more. As she kept her eyes on the widescreen, they glistened a little. Lightning glanced at the screen to see if something sad had happened already, but it didn't appear so looking at the movie. When she looked at Summer again, the glistening hadn't left her eyes, but she was blinking again. "You okay?" Lightning asked, unsure of Summer's emotions.

"Yes, it's..." Summer turned her way. "It's nothing, Light. Just a little cold in here." Summer eyed the popcorn again and Lightning gave a little smile.

"You can have all you want of it."

Summer scooted in closer into Lightning's seat and leaned back against her shoulder and chest, cuddling. She idly grabbed a few more popcorns. "Lightning?"

"Hmm?" Lightning asked, full attention devoid of the movie, now filled with the girl half on her lap. She wrapped an arm around Summer's belly as the woman tucked in her head against Lightning.

"I'm fond of you, Light. I think you're beautiful."

"Did you ever think you'd say that half a year ago?"

Summer smiled, amused. It looked beautiful on her too, so beautiful and natural. This woman was meant to smile and light up people's hearts with it. Lightning's certainly was pumping strong. "I hadn't realized your lap was so warm then." Summer's hand touched the side of her covered stomach; her fingers lightly brushed around it. "I'm sorry about that, Light."

Something crashed on screen and Summer stiffened up again in a flinch. Lightning frowned, hand lifting up her back. "Hey," she rubbed it once. "That's the third or fourth time you've done that. Summer?"

"It's nothing," Summer tried to shrug it off- but then she flinched again, and Lightning found the common denominator.

"The sound's too loud," Lightning realized with a start.

"It's okay," Summer passed off, "It's only when they crank it up - ohh," Summer closed her eyes against Lightning's chest. "Don't worry."

"Don't be ridiculous," Lightning stood with Summer, forced to stand as well. "We're not going to sit here if it's hurting you." Lightning took the popcorn with an arm still around Summer's waist. "Serah, Summer needs a break," Lightning explained quietly.

"Is that what she needs?" Serah asked with a smile.

"I'm taking her outside a moment,"

"Do you mind?" Someone asked behind them. "Converse somewhere else!"

"Come on," Lightning started scooting out with Summer.

"Lightning, we don't have to- "

"Shh!" the people behind her hushed loudly.

"Just come with me," Lightning walked down and out with her. Summer flinched once more on the way out, revealing just how much the sound was hurting her. Lightning shook her head, guiding her out through the movie doors. With the doors shut safe behind her, she hugged Summer's side. "You should've just said something."

"It wasn't constant," Summer argued meekly.

"Summer," Lightning admonished. "Why didn't you say something?"

Summer glanced at the theater doors with a regretful expression. "You're supposed to be spending the day with Serah. I don't want to take you away from her."

"Summer," Lightning reprimanded, a little touched by her consideration. "Serah or no, I'm not going to stay somewhere that's hurting you. I've got her for the whole week; Serah and I will have enough time," Lightning shook her head, "I'm going to go back there and tell her we're stepping out. Lebreau can drop her back off at the house after the movie."

"Lightning- "

"Shh," Lightning hushed, "I'm sure. Now..." she passed the big popcorn bowl to Summer. "Hold that and wait here. I'll walk home with you."

Summer still gave her an apologetic look of pleading. "I'm sorry, Light."

"Don't even worry about it," Lightning passed off. "Really, Summer. I'll be right back. Don't move from that spot, okay?"

"...Okay," Summer hesitatingly agreed. "Tell Serah I'm sorry, Lightning."


	18. Chapter 18

**XXX**

"I still didn't want to drag you out early," Summer apologized again.

"It's not your fault, Summer." Lightning repeated. "In fact, I should've thought of your senses. I did live with Fang for awhile. It just slipped my mind; I'm sorry." Lightning opened the door to Lebreau's and held it for Summer. "Go ahead."

"Thanks," Summer stepped into hall that led to a dining room and kitchen, guilt pricking at her. "And don't blame yourself, Lightning. I didn't mean to ruin your day with Serah."

Lightning waved her off and started for the kitchen. "Coffee or tea, Summer?"

"Tea, please," Summer requested, following Lightning into the kitchen. "I wonder how Fang's doing back at home with the kids."

"Feeling a little homesick?" Lightning asked, putting on the water to boil. She gestured Summer down to the table to sit.

"With my kids, maybe a little." Summer admitted, taking the seat Lightning had gestured her into. "Cocoon would amaze them. It's a shame it's not a little safer; I would have brought them to see this place."

Lightning settled in across from her. "Rivera would be stubborn about that, I imagine."

"Oh, you have no idea," Summer assured, "She cried over me coming here; Ember was sobbing. It took a lot to reassure them I'd be alright for the week."

"Is this your first time away from them?"

"Being so far, yes." Summer answered with a slight nod. "I've left them with their fathers before, of course, but I was always close at hand in the village somewhere. This is a little different. I know Anya and Jaeger will take care of them, but... I just hope they're okay."

"You miss them," Lightning detected, and Summer smiled with fond recollection.

"I'll see them soon." Summer said it as much to reassure herself as Lightning. "Besides," Summer added, taking in a little breath, "It's good for me to be away from Fang for a bit. Give us both a little space."

"Why do you say that?" Lightning asked, brows furrowing like it was a troubling thing to say.

"My fallow," Summer clarified, "I've always found Fang attractive; and now that it's here, it's harder to control the heat around her. The first two weeks before it are always difficult. I wouldn't want to accidentally initiate something because I felt too warm around her."

"You're... not trying to initiate something with Fang?"

"Not anymore." Summer informed to Lightning's clear surprise. "After what happened," Summer explained, "My parents don't approve of her anymore."

"Your parents." Lightning repeated with an eyebrow.

"That's right." Summer nodded once more, "I have always wanted a child from Fang, but I can't anymore. Every Yun and half the tribes know about what happened with her, and they have heard Fang talk about hitting you and... almost hurting you real bad." Summer observed the tightness taking Lightning's throat and how her fingers clenched at the table. It wasn't her place to push at unfriendly territory, so she rounded it up. "She's lost a little shine of her Yun pride and name because of it."

"I see." Lightning stood after a moment and went back to the water on the stove. She looked at it, found it not boiling, but stayed up there by the pot. "So, Fang..." Lightning took in a breath to calm herself. "Fang's not a desirable mate anymore? To the Yuns."

Summer realized the direction of her thoughts. "Lightning, that's not your fault." Lightning's head dropped, two hands supporting on the stove and countertop. Summer stood and crossed the kitchen to her back. "Light."

"She banned out of Paddra," Lightning started to list. "Undersized, went through rehab, and has a busted arm. And now, even Yuns don't like her." Lightning's eyes closed, jaw clenched. She didn't lash out to hit anything, but Summer could tell how stiff she was. "She just wanted a family."

"Hey," Summer lifted a hand to her shoulder. "Light." When she didn't respond, Summer turned her around to face her. Lightning stiffly obliged, strained eyes opening again on Summer where Summer could clearly see a heavy sense of guilt resting there. "Fang's actions were her own undoing. You can't take responsibility for everything that happens to her, Light." Summer lifted a hand to Lightning's cheek where steely eyes refused to cry. "You were both victims in all this."

"I made her a victim." Lightning corrected, turning her head away from the touch. "I engineered it all to happen. Fang would have been fine if I never interfered in her life."

"And she would've been dead if you hadn't collected yourself together to find her." Summer added. "Which you didn't have to do. She almost raped you, Lightning," Lightning fully turned away, as if stung. "And you still went after her to pick her up. Light. Look at me." Lightning closed her eyes a moment to settle, then did on the exhale. "If it hadn't been you, Fang could have gone after any number of bitchy girls on this planet. She could have gone on a sex spree and contracted a disease or ended up in your prisons; and then, she'd really never get to be with a Gran Pulse woman again. You brought her home in one piece to us; and she's healing. We'd rather have that Fang than no Fang at all."

Lightning swallowed, eyes lowering to the floor. Summer felt enough of the message had been conveyed; Lightning just had to get through blaming herself. It was something she'd have to work through, Summer knew. "Go sit down, Lightning," Summer told her, "I'll get the coffee and tea."

Lightning went back to the table, sighing quietly. When the water started bubbling, Summer took it off the stove and poured it into two mugs she'd brought out. "Neither of you is innocent of guilt," Summer poured their cups, "You can't keep going blaming yourself, Lightning. You have to let go at a point." When their cups had been filled of steaming, hot water, Summer asked. "Where are the tea bags, Lightning?"

"In the cupboard in front of you," Lightning said with another sigh. Summer finished off their cups and returned to the table.

"Here you go,"

"Thanks," Lightning took it absentmindedly. "Tea?" Lightning asked, seeing the bag coming out of it.

"It's better for you right now," Summer said and believed it. "I don't know about you, but that expresso coffee made me twitchy and hormonal all last night."

Lightning offered her the weakest of smiles and pulled the cup up to herself. She stared into it a long moment before she finally spoke again. "I kicked Fang out when she needed to heal and stay."

Summer was glad to hear her say something about it. She wanted Lightning to keep talking. "I probably would've if she'd attacked me like that too, Light."

"It wasn't because of that." Lightning stared into the depths of her cup like she wanted to drown in it. "I'd already forgiven Fang for that."

Summer already knew it'd been after that. Fang had told them about the tape. But she had a feeling Lightning hadn't told this to anyone yet, and it was something she needed to share like Fang had. Summer reached out a hand and took Lightning's lying on the table around her cup. Lightning looked up with the most grim of regretful expressions. "Keep going." Summer encouraged gently, squeezing Lightning's fingers to provide her some minimal support.

"It was a tape." Lightning admitted, shame clear on her face in the way her eyes drifted from Summer's away. "Jihl sent a tape of the two of them... asking Fang if she loved her and shit." Lightning's head bowed down as her hands went to it, pulling away from Summer's. Her fingers dug into her hair, stressed. "I should have known. It was such an obvious trap!"

"Lightning," Summer soothed, bringing her back out of the distress of it. "You can't change the past. You and Fang both made mistakes, no one's denying that, but another part of the picture is dealing with it after. I hate to see you dwell on it and seclude yourself in isolation. I'm sure Serah does too."

Lightning bit back another sigh and stared at the ceiling a bit. She finally came back and asked. "Why did you come to Cocoon, Summer? It wasn't to counsel me or avoid taking your fallow out on Fang."

The abrupt turn of conversation surprised her, but Summer still thought Lightning had made some progress in bringing it up tonight. She answered her new turn of questioning truthfully. "No, it wasn't."

"So?"

"I wanted to speak to you privately, Lightning."

"About Fang?"

"About Jihl."

Lightning met her eyes at the mention, but didn't betray further signs than that. "What about her?"

"I want to find her," Summer answered simply. "I thought you could help. You helped us track down Fang and all."

"What do you intend to do with her if she's found?" Lightning questioned with an eyebrow. "Nothing to do with Cocoon authorities, I hope."

"No," Summer snorted, the thought was so ludicrous. "I thought we would have similar intentions concerning Jihl."

"I think we do."

"Fang can't know I've asked about her." Summer forewarned, thinking Lightning understood otherwise if she understood this.

"I haven't included her in my efforts so far, and I don't intend to."

Summer's eyebrow raised in mute surprise, but she supposed after she shouldn't have been. Lightning was a smart woman, and Fang's life wasn't the only one that'd been ruined by Jihl's intrusion. "You've searched for her, then. Have you found her?"

"I haven't." Lightning reported back, and added, "I've had Maqui hacking into every PSICOM and Guardian Corps computer in existence. He's got eyes on traffic cameras, lookout sightings, news feeds that come directly into PSICOM, everything."

"It sounds promising," Summer ventured, not knowing everything Lightning was mentioning, but enough to realize her efforts. "Any leads at all on her whereabouts?"

"None," Lightning reported grimly. "Something should have popped by now. With the coverage of computers and the technology we have, there's no way she's gone this long undiscovered in Cocoon."

Summer's own resolve hardened in upset. "You think PSICOM's covering for her?"

"I doubt it." Lightning shook her head, "With the allegations the Yuns have made, they want her almost as bad as we do. No, something else is at play."

"The Guardian Corps?"

Lightning simply shook her head again, paused, and then forewarned. "You're not going to like it," she gave that a little moment of space. "I don't think she's on this planet anymore."

"What?" Summer rose to her feet.

"Escaping customs is a lot easier than laying under the radar for this long. She wouldn't have been able to do it."

"Umbra!" Summer cursed and started to pace to wear off the anxiety that'd risen in her chest all of a sudden. "She's living in Gran Pulse? That close to Fang? The bitch could be anywhere in Gran Pulse! She could be in Roe!" Summer's blood pressure rose just thinking about it. How close _was _Jihl? She'd raped Fang and expressed an interest in her children -could she possibly be crazy enough to come back for her? Goddess!

"Summer," Lightning was the one in front of her then with a hand on Summer's arm, looking her face to face. "Shh," she settled her, stroking down Summer's arm to sooth her. "Now that you know, you can look for her." Lightning squeezed her arm, relating to her woman to woman. "She's stayed hidden this long, I didn't want to tell Anya or Jaeger if I was wrong about it."

"No," Summer agreed, shaking her head. "Don't. That will just make things worse with the balance Fang's finally achieved."

Lightning nodded, seeming calm. Summer was still steaming over this. "You don't know where?"

"I don't have resources in Gran Pulse like I have here." Summer took a deep breath to calm the racing in her heart. She couldn't speak for a full moment, so instead, Lightning asked. "Can you find her there?"

"I'm going to try," Summer promised, jaw tight with the knowledge of how close Jihl could be. "Goddess, Light. I hate her."

"I know," Lightning responded with that calm. Having more time to deal with the knowledge of this, it was no small wonder she could still handle it this well. "Come on," Lightning tugged her arm to take her back to the table. "We'll have some tea, Summer, and talk."

**XXX**

"Claire. Summer said you'd be in here."

Lightning glanced back over her shoulder and found Serah in the doorway. "You're back."

"Just got here," Serah confirmed, coming in.

"How was the movie?"

"Romantic and sweet." Serah confessed, "You probably would've hated it anyway but for the lesbian parts. Might've been able to pull some tips from those graphic scenes."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you took notes for Hawke."

Serah blushed near crimson and bowed her head down guilty-like. "W-we haven't," she reminded, all nervous now.

"Not yet." Lightning added, then when Serah remained shy, she waved her over with a hand. "Come here, you."

Serah came over and Lightning wrapped an arm around her slender shoulders to reassure her little sister. "You're not going to be mad, are you?" Serah asked, inherently curling to Lightning's side. "When we do, I mean."

"No, Serah," Lightning chastised gently, giving her a friendly squeeze. "I'm not going to be mad when you have sex with your girlfriend." Serah was a growing girl. At nineteen, Serah was growing up. Even if Lightning had been there, it'd have been hard to forbid her sister from growing close with someone she loved.

"I hope not," Serah confessed with a braver face. "I really like her, Claire. We've been pulling so close."

"I figured by the letters," Lightning confirmed with a soft sigh, then looking at Serah's hopeful features waiting for approval, she added. "At least it's not some guy," Lightning added for her, "That's one thing I don't have to worry about anymore. You better be safe, though. I don't want to read in your next letter that Hawke's knocked you up."

"I love you, Claire." Serah squeezed her back.

"I know."

Serah smiled broadly, then bit her bottom lip, not shyly, but devious. "Speaking of having sex with our girlfriends..."

"Summer's not my girlfriend."

"Pseudo-girlfriend," Serah corrected, Pseudo-girlfriend who you so gentlemanly escorted home when she hurt...!"

"Are you calling me the man?"

"Claire!" Serah squeaked. "What happened? Did something happen? Something had to have happened while we were out. It did, didn't it?"

"Nothing happened, Serah."

"It didn't?" Serah's face dropped. "Why not? We were out for hours! I even went out for ice cream with Lebreau to give you two a little more privacy." Lightning coughed at the admittance. "I've been watching how you look at her, Claire! I know you think she's gorgeous."

"Are you encouraging me to have loose sex?" Gran Pulse had changed her so much.

"Not 'loose,'" Serah complained, "Don't make it sound all dirty. It's not like the men you've slept with. It's just sex between friends!" Lightning's eyebrow went up. "What? Yuns do it all the time, Claire!"

"We just talked."

"About what?" Serah asked, all curious. "Fang? You know, Summer's not pursuing Fang anymore either, so if that was holding you up..."

Lightning shook her head. "Summer told me that too."

"So, you _were _talking about her."

"A little bit." Lightning confessed. "Not in context of sleeping with her, though."

"Aww, Claire," Serah grumped and plopped on her bed butt first. "I bet she wanted to. She looks at you too, you know? I think you both should just throw in together."

"I'm noticing that."

Serah gave her a small smile. "You smile a little when she teases you." Serah kicked her legs a bit. "Fang made you smile like that."

"Maybe it's a Yun thing."

"I like seeing you happier, Claire." Serah confessed, ever the sweetheart. "With all the jerks out there saying stuff like those girls at the beach or theater... it's nice to see you flirting it off with her."

"Thank you for the vote of approval."

"Now you know how I feel discussing Hawke," Serah offered cheekily back. "I just think you should come together with her. I think it'd be good for you both."

"Now my sister's prescribing friend-sex," Lightning shook her head. "What've they done to you over there?"

Serah grinned.

**XXX**

After a long afternoon of board games Summer hadn't quite understood and giving Lightning some space to make up for the lost time with Serah, Summer felt anxious more than ever between these walls. The sparse walk Lightning had taken with her and Serah for her benefit hadn't helped either. Being constantly close to Lightning was a full on temptation, and being cooped up in a house without her children or adequate distractions hadn't helped. She felt the hotter than a cat in heat, and there wasn't a stud around for a world's distance to help her.

"Umbra," Summer cursed, itching not only to have that Fang-sized dick inside of her, but for someone to be with her when she had it. The dildo wasn't as good as a thick, fleshy Yun, even with that vibrating feature, but Summer could just imagine how enthralled she'd be with a good woman behind it. No matter what toys she had, masterbation just didn't cut it as good as real sex. And Goddess, Summer longed for it. She wanted it bad from Lightning.

But Serah was still up.

Summer didn't personally understand it, but she'd figured the gist of Cocoon's view on sex these past few days. It was crazy, really, but people here almost seemed ashamed of it. Lightning didn't seem so terrible about it; she had teased along with Summer after all in a private sort of way, but Summer noticed Lightning shared this Cocoon view on sex to some degrees. She wouldn't look at her fully when she was in the house and underdressed or naked, and while not embarrassed, Lightning tended to shy away from intimate contact when Serah or Lebreau were in the same room as them.

Stupid Cocoon customs.

It was why Summer now sat, fully dressed on the edge of her bed. She had a proposal for Lightning, but she couldn't make it. Not yet. Not until Serah fell asleep so Lightning could have this privacy Cocoon people seemed to crave.

Summer sighed and waited. Her foot started to tap. She glanced back at the blue dildo on the dresser and stared at it. Instinct told her to take it and satisfy as best she could; maybe Lightning would smell or hear her and join, but dammit, Cocoon people didn't have the senses for that. Summer cut off her lean and straightened with a grimace. She wasn't trying to listen to Lightning and Serah talk, but at the same time, she waited for those key words that would end it. Summer prayed she'd send Serah to bed soon; she didn't know if her patience could last as long as she would usually give them to be polite. Even just thinking about her made Summer picture Lightning's attractive form and body, imagining how it'd be for those slender hips to pump into her, caressing another woman's silken body tonight. She could go for another baby; it'd been that long since. What a shame that wasn't Lightning's real dick. She'd make such a stud...

"Good night, Serah."

Summer popped off her seat like a red-hot kernel of popcorn. She had to calm herself before Lightning's door, warm enough to smell her through the walls. Lightning had such a scent. Taking that breath, Summer opened the door to her room, which was dim with the lights down. Two heads popped up to look at her from the bed, though Lightning wasn't laying down yet. "Lightning," Summer requested. "Can I borrow you a moment?"

"I'll be back, Serah." Lightning promised. Serah chuckled in response.

"You don't have to."

Shaking her head, Lightning came to the door and out it. Summer shut it behind her in case she wanted the privacy.

"Is something wrong?" Lightning asked, turning to her with serious, inquisitive eyes.

"It's nothing like that." Summer assured, lips automatically forming a smile as she looked upon Lightning. The woman was beautiful; she strongly reminded Summer of Gran Pulse and longed for it.

"You're smiling." Lightning pointed out, looking back at her.

"I'm thinking about you." Summer told her, completely straightforward. "It makes me smile sometimes." Lightning offered her a small bit of one back. Never quite managing a full one, Summer appreciated the ones she could get out of the woman. "Lightning," Summer finally voiced, stepping towards her to take Lightning's limp wrist in her hands. "I know the rules are different here, that women don't enjoy each other on the whim so much," Summer laid a hand over hers and looked up into Lightning's eyes. "And it's okay if you don't want to. I won't ask again if that's the case. But while I'm here and we're with each other, I don't see why else two attractive women shouldn't come together." she met Lightning's icy blues with a smile. "I know you find me lovely. I think you are too, Light."

"You're too beautiful for your own good."

A small chuckle escaped Summer's lips looking into that fine face that wouldn't smile. "Maybe so." Summer admitted, second hand rubbing up Lightning's arm, half out of desire, half just to touch her warm skin. "But I wanted to extend the invitation. If you wanted to break the Cocoon rules, Light... we're just two women looking for a night."

Lightning stared at her with such unreadable eyes; she could've been ready to smack _or _kiss her, for all Summer could tell. It was kind of sexy not knowing. Summer always knew with her studs. Finally, Lightning asked. "You want me to use the dildo with you?"

Summer's smiling lips twitched. "I'd prefer it, but we don't have to if you don't want to."

"I don't know how to." Lightning said, "If we did, I mean. I've never been the... stud before."

Summer almost laughed again, Lightning was tickling her so much. She still sounded a little undecided too, though. Much as Summer wanted to share her bed, if Lightning was hesitant to for shyness or whatever reason, Summer wouldn't sleep with her like so. "We could go au natural too, Lightning."

"Haven't done that either," Lightning mumbled, averting her eyes. "Not with a femme before."

"I wouldn't peg you for a cute bedmate," Summer's joyous smile tempered as she reached up to Lightning's cheek. "But I'll admit I have a thing for cute virgins who bottom well."

"Summer!" Lightning balked, wide eyes turning on her.

"Shh!" Summer laughed, hushing Lightning with a finger to her lips, "Shh. That's our secret." she smiled warmly at her, "Well, you, me, and half the studs I've been with, but- " Summer glanced over her shoulder back the route she had come. "I'm going to go back to my bedroom now, so my presence doesn't sway your choice any."

"You're so cocky," Lightning said, but her fingers were brushing Summer's neck now, eyes a little more clear than before.

"If you want to follow after, I'll be waiting." Summer told her. "But it's okay if you don't, too." Summer brushed her fingers back across that pretty cheek. "I'll understand," Summer assured her, wanting Lightning to know there'd be no hard feelings. She gave that pretty blonde a last, longing stare. "I just hope you do." Goddamn, did she hope it. If anything, that interaction had just made her more warm. As Summer turned to go, leaving Lightning's soft skin behind, it was all she could manage to keep walking away from her.

Umbra! Summer hoped she'd follow soon.


	19. Chapter 19

Lightning watched Summer disappear down the hallway with watchful eyes, then stepped back against the wall when Summer disappeared from view. She laid her head back against the wall and took in a breath. Damn. That woman was something. Lightning could feel it in her chest and stomach, the slight increase in temperature and heart rate, a bit of warmth creeping there; it was something she could increasingly associate as the Summer Effect if it deserved a label. Summer was just so gorgeous, she made a woman look twice, like the way Lightning was looking down the hall after her. There was little use denying it; she wanted Summer.

It felt a little surreal, that this gorgeous, Pulse amazon would just waltz in and they could fuck, but... that's how they did it in Gran Pulse. Her offer wasn't unusual at all to her, perhaps only in that she had to make it at all. Summer was the kind of woman studs and femmes would flock to. She must have had hordes in Gran Pulse. How many exactly anyway?

Lightning closed her eyes a moment, torn in indecision. It wasn't like she hadn't had loose sex before. Before Fang, that was the full extent of a relationship she'd had with any man. She didn't think it'd ruin their semi-friendship they had going on either, just...

Damn, what a day. Lightning opened her eyes and peered on after Summer's room. She couldn't see the Yun, but knowing she was there, waiting... Lightning shivered. She almost started right after her, but the thought of Yuns led to the thought of Fang, and that stopped her. After she'd messed up with Fang so bad...

Lightning shook her head. Fang was in her past, and she was in Summer's too. The Yun had straight up told her she didn't have intentions anymore for her, and Lightning certainly didn't either. She had to press forward from Fang. Lightning hadn't been with anyone since the catastrophe of their relationship; hell, she hadn't even looked at anyone until Summer showed up, and it wasn't out of some self-punishment. It was because she really hadn't found them attractive. Everyone's light just seemed to die out after Fang. They just couldn't hold a candle to her. But Summer... Summer was beautiful, and Lightning noticed it. She wanted it. Summer might be exactly what Lightning needed to move forward from Fang.

Lightning started after her. Her head was only barely catching up with her feet by the time she reached Summer's doorway, but when she stepped into that room, all she could see was that beauty. Thoughts slightly jumbled, Lightning shut the door behind her as she faced Summer in the room.

"Lightning," Summer's welcoming smile split her lips pleasantly. "You came."

"Don't act surprised."

Summer's face lit up. "I'm happy you chose to."

Lightning offered a meager smile to show she was happy too. Those nerves fluttered in her stomach, though. "Summer," Lightning stepped one foot away from the door towards her. "Let's take things slow from here."

"As slow as you want." Summer promised. She rubbed a spot on the bed beside her to get Lightning over to her. Lightning took it; and Summer turned on her side to face her, gold-speckled eyes gleaming at her. "It's your move, Light." Summer allowed, only inches from Lightning, but giving that to her.

Lightning reached up a hand to touch that skin she'd been missing. Summer just smiled for her. Lightning's fingers brushed back to her neck. She leaned in to touch Summer's lips to hers.

Her mouth was a perfect fit to Lightning's nervous hunger for the woman. It started long and slow, but Summer's lips felt so right, Lightning wanted more. Summer took her in easy stride. Hands curled and settled around Lightning's waist until their mouths meshed so feverish, she carried her over. Lightning almost squeaked when she was lifted just an inch, startlingly pulled over Summer. Her anxiety must've shown, too, because when she parted for a breath after the transfer, Summer looked at her with kind eyes and asked, "Too fast?"

Lightning's heart raced already, but Summer was already being amazing for her. "Just startled," she answered back on the rushed exhale. "I'm okay." she moved her arms back up under Summer's shoulders and squeezed the tops of them. "Thank you."

"No need to thank me," Summer excused with those eyes of honied gold, "I've been daydreaming of this the past two days now."

"You only came in two days ago."

Summer tongued her bottom lip playfully with a smile. "I know."

"Eden," Lightning quietly groaned. When Summer chuckled, she silenced those delicious lips once more. Arms curled around Lightning's neck to hold her. Lightning basked in that hold, squeezing Summer's back and shoulders in tune to their fever of kissing. And with her, Lightning just knew how good she felt. At this comfortable level of intimacy, Lightning felt safe and whole. She wanted to stay at this warm spot with Summer and hold her all night if she could.

"Lightning," Summer murmured after a long time of kissing. She licked where Lightning's lips had just been. Afraid she might be getting bored of that action, Lightning gradually lowered from chin to neck with an apologetic murmur of her own.

"I'm sorry,"

"Sweetie, you're fine," Summer hushed, one hand lifting to the back of Lightning's head as she lowered. Her fingers brushed through her hair, but didn't pull. Lightning didn't stop kissing her, so warmly taken with that action alone, she couldn't give it up. Not when Summer's skin tasted as salty sweet as her lips had been against her mouth. God, this whole woman was one big aphrodisiac, entrapping Lightning's senses in her hold. "Ohh," Summer sighed with her kisses. Lightning suckled her collar a little, but didn't bite that tender skin under.

"I was going to say... " Summer _mmm_ed between her faint suckling kisses to her collarbone. "You should strip me first," Summer encouraged gently. "It's been some time for you. I want you to explore."

Lightning lifted from her collar, one arm lowering to Summer's side. She thumbed the skin there, smooth as silk like the rest of her. Lightning stroked her shoulder too, eyeing up at her. "Summer..."

Summer gave her another beautiful smile that warmed Lightning through and through. "Take it off. I want your eyes on me, Light." Lightning's fingers pushed up on the side, other hand descending to help. Summer raised her arms, looking like the sexiest nymph as Lightning pushed up her shirt. First came her flat stomach, soft as the smoothest silk, then breasts. Breasts rounded and wholesome enough to rival Fang's; maybe even a little bigger. Lightning couldn't remember exactly. She'd never really thought of herself as a breast person, but Summer's made her want to touch. If they were as soft and supple as the rest of her smooth skin, Lightning wouldn't have minded sucking them at all. She remembered that about Fang; breasts were easier to satisfy and more fun to touch than a flat chest. Lightning had never liked hair there either on a man.

The rest of her shirt lifted as Lightning pulled it off to Summer's wriggle that bounced her breasts. That smile penetrated her more than any male penis ever had, making Lightning warm just by taking in that tan flesh. Summer wasn't flawless; she had scars just like Fang. Granted, there were much fewer of them, probably having to do with that ability she'd once used on Lightning, but the ones she had didn't take away from her beauty at all. Lightning would almost have to watch out to keep from getting a Yun fetish here, their bodies were so grand.

"Like what you see?" Summer asked with knowing, teasing lips. Lightning kissed them to quiet her because her words only made her sexier yet. This woman was a vixen and a goddess all in one.

"You're beautiful," Lightning told her softly after, when those lips were sealed in contented satisfaction. Summer reached for her hand not supporting her weight and moved it over her breast.

"I'm not the only one," Shimmering eyes literally sparkled when they caught the moonlight looking up at her. Summer squeezed her hand over her breast, roughing the palm into it, and never broke eye contact. "Whatever you like, Lightning. Take your time with it."

Lightning lowered to her lips to kiss her one last because she really couldn't get enough of Summer's lips. The kiss lasted long enough for Summer to suckle her bottom lip and almost prevented Lightning from moving on with it. She ground her palm against Summer's breast again, and Summer's hand left hers, contented with Lightning's own efforts. Fingers trailed up her back, then nestled in Lightning's hair. Lightning lowered down Summer's body until she was eye level with her breasts. She glanced up at the woman above her.

Fang had been easy to please because her breasts were quite sensitive, but Lightning in no way judged herself an expert on this. Before Fang, when she'd fucked men, their chests had mainly been avoided, if anything. Lightning hadn't practiced much foreplay on anybody but Fang. "Help me if I'm doing it wrong."

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Summer reassured with that smile, eyes bright in the dim room with only the moon's light. Her fingers stroked through Lightning's roots gently. "I love your pink, Lightning."

Lightning offered her a small smile before lowering to her body again. A momentary wondering passed her mind how Summer would feel against her naked body, but it was something Lightning would correct later. For now, she roughed Summer's soft, cushy breast once more and soothed the peak between her thumb and forefinger to squeeze. Lightning's lips descended over Summer's second breast, taking in the nipple.

Though she was the one on Summer, doing this to her, there was something so strongly erotic about taking in such a sensual spot on her body, Lightning felt it quake within her. Maybe even more than it was affecting Summer, even. A warm wash of heat flooded her, flushing her skin warm, and made Lightning even more curious to investigate this sensual skin. She kissed the pebbling nipple between her lips, then tongued it, first the tip, then the small circle around it with a small, wet trace. She was probably doing it backwards, but Summer seemed contented.

"Ooh," One of Summer's hands stroked her shoulder through her shirt. The other played with her hair, fond. "That's nice, Lightning. That's sooo... ohh," Lightning couldn't see much of her face, but Summer closed her eyes, seeming pleased with Lightning's tender suckle. "Keep going," Summer encouraged. "Deeper, if you can take it."

Lightning took in the request and lowered her mouth further over Summer's breast. She couldn't lick the nipple so much anymore, but when she felt it in her mouth, she clamped her mouth over her to suckle again and gently applied pressure with her thumb to the other nipple.

"Ohh, Light." Summer groaned, fingers on her shoulder digging in a little harder to massage the muscle. "And you were worried about this?" Summer shook her head. "Damn." Lightning sucked again because Summer seemed to like it. She could feel every slight movement beneath her and every twitch. It was making her wet. "You smell so good, Light." Summer softly moaned, shifting beneath her. "You can bite if you want. I like that too."

Lightning lifted her head. Summer groaned when her lips left her and looked down her body from the pillow at Lightning. "Too much?" she asked, and the flicker of anguish didn't escape Lightning's notice. She was probably torturing her with how slow this was going.

"Guide me," Lightning asked, rotating breasts to give both equal treatment.

Summer flattened back to the pillow with a breath. "I'm so wet." The barest hints of a smile tugged at Lightning as she tongued around the nipple again. "Okay," Summer breathed. "A little lower than that, you can use teeth. But don't bite too hard if you bite my nipple- ohh!" Summer stiffened up when she tried, fastening teeth just above her peak on the skin. Fingers dug into the skin of her shoulder. "Yess," Summer breathed, almost like a pant. "Like that- Lightt. Oh, Yuns, that's good." Lightning licked and suckled over the skin after to nurse the tenderness she'd created. "Feel free to give me a hickey," Summer puffed, "Any time you want, Light."

Lightning couldn't help the little twitch of her lips. She kissed the spot, then returned to the nipple. Summer's fingers were strong in her shoulder, but not uncomfortable as she barely teethed her peak, then licked over it and clamped. "Light," Summer purred as she squeezed the other one in a hand. "You're being so good to my breasts. Ohh," Summer groaned. "You smell so wet."

"Because I am." Lightning answered simply, coming off of her breasts. Summer let out a groan, fingers tight in her shoulder. Lightning sat up and stripped her shirt clean off, drawing Summer's eyes. She reached back and unclasped her bra at the back, took it off, then let it dangle only a second above the floor before she dropped it. Summer was riveted.

"Is that why you wear them?"

Lightning smiled and moved to the side of Summer's body now. She leaned over and began kissing down her stomach next, not wanting to miss an inch of skin.

"Where are you going?"

"Exploring." As surprisingly pleasing and comfortable as Summer's breasts were, Lightning wanted Summer to enjoy this too, more than just foreplay. She'd been patient with her thus far; Lightning knew it had to be killing her a bit. It was time to give back a little more.

Lightning undid her zipper. Summer lifted her head to peer down at the sound of it. "Umbra!" she flattened back to the pillow and closed her eyes as Lightning started to undo her belt and button. "You have no idea how wet I am."

"I'm about to." Lightning promised. Wedging her thumbs in at the hip of Summer's jeans, she pulled them down Summer's stunning legs. And good God, were they amazing. Summer was only an inch taller than her, but stripping down her pants seemed to take forever, the tan skin was so smooth and flawless. Lightning knew Yuns didn't grow hair beneath the neck, but even this was taking it to ridiculous proportions, her legs were so clean and beautiful. A new appreciation for Yun thighs had started up in Lightning. She couldn't even help it, Summer's legs were so gorgeous. "Damn."

Summer could win an award with that smile, she was so ungodly pleased. "You a leg person, Light?" Summer teased, crossing them to be a bigger tease.

"Now, I am." Lightning reached out to brush fingers along her leg, knowing, and not disappointed to find them as sleek as every inch she'd touched on Summer. Hell, even her scars were silken tissue. What the hell?

Lightning couldn't resist. Lowering her lips to Summer's slightly marred, but flawless legs, she kissed the skin there too.

"Fuckk, Light," Summer cursed, and it was simultaneously the dirtiest and sexiest thing she'd ever heard from her in that moment. "You're giving me a lady-boner with those lips."

Lightning smiled minutely, nowhere near done with tasting Summer through the kisses. "I'll give you more than that."

"I hope so," Summer closed her eyes in bliss again. When Lightning had crawled high enough on her thigh with kisses and licks, Summer paused her with a requested, "Mark me."

Lightning complied and it had her groaning in the prettiest way. Her teeth imprints and the reddened flesh that would bruise, so close to her sex made Lightning wetter. She could feel how damp her panties were already, and when her eyes lifted to Summer's oozing, it didn't help. Like Fang, Summer was completely clean and hairless down there, hiding nothing as she lay on her back and breathed in deeply. Lightning hadn't seen many vaginas in her life, but fuck if Summer's glistening wasn't arousing the shit out of her right now.

"Lightning," Summer practically moaned. "Touch me." She shifted again, eyes closed, but probably itching. Lightning could see a minute twitch in her fingers. "Please," Summer asked, giving her the power, then added. "I'll show you if you don't know how."

."Not necessary." Lightning gently pushed her leg out, spacing them apart. Summer smiled when she did it, but didn't open her eyes as Lightning moved and knelt in-between them. She touched either of Summer's inner thighs near her opening, thumbs nearest, and Summer chuckled.

"You shouldn't need to pry."

Lightning had other ideas.

"Bloody fuck!" Summer jerked, but Lightning's hands on her thighs kept her from kicking up or squirming too far in surprise. She raised on the backs of her arms to stare down her body at Lightning, incredulous. From the warm, wet space between her legs where Lightning had just licked, she smiled back at Summer.

"Lay back."

"You know how to give cunnilingus?" Summer asked with high eyebrows.

"I'll learn." Lightning prodded her wet folds with a thumb. Summer dropped back to the pillow with a curse.

"Umbra!" Lightning nuzzled a finger against her clit, "I thought you didn't like this with Fang."

"You're not Fang," Lightning pointed out because there were some noticeable differences there. "And I haven't tried you yet." Lightning lowered her mouth to her again and licked Summer from the bottom point of her oozing up. Summer twitched. When Lightning's lips closed around that most sensitive button, she prodded Summer's wall with two fingers to hold back the skin and gave Summer a gentle suckle through closed lips.

"Shit," Summer cursed, stiffening. Lightning felt fingers twine in her hair again and grip. "What happened to being a virgin at this?"

Lightning smiled a little and licked. Her nose was a little wet with Summer's lust on the tip, but she didn't so much mind it while Summer was straining and arching like that to her sucking. The deep inhaling movements of her stomach were so pleasing to watch as she controlled every gasp. Lightning didn't delude herself that Summer never had had better than her beginner attempts, but it was satisfying to see Summer pleasured all the same.

"Light," Summer panted, starting to sweat. "You're meant to be a lesbian. Umbra! That's sweet. Keep... keep it up, ohh."

Lightning burrowed her fingers deeper into Summer, who groaned for it. Wrapping her tongue for one last squeeze around her button, Lightning took a breath, then followed in after her fingers with her tongue, seeking. Summer gave a little buck; not a big one, but enough to get Lightning's blood pumping in excitement. Her heart already raced, and the room felt hotter than it should've. She wanted Summer to like this.

"Lighttt,"

The echo reminded her of another girl at another time. Fang had done this to her once. Lightning recalled the writhing, mostly, and Fang's strong hands on her thighs, the same way Lightning's were now on Summer's instead. What exactly had Fang done?

"Summer," Lightning hissed, remembering how Fang had breathed into her.

"Oh, fuck," Summer groaned, fingers fisting in her hair. "That's Fang shit!" Summer moaned, enjoying her. "Fang does that too. Gahh!" Lightning smiled a little more and licked an inner wall and swallowed her lust fast. Fang had worked her tongue in strokes into her. She tried that too. Perhaps a little clumsy about it with one hand on a thigh, fingers prodding to keep her open, Lightning rotated her breaths in darting in and out of Summer with her tongue.

Hot, wet lust multiplied in her. Warm and sticky with her, Lightning tongued around her rim, making Summer sweat and tremble under her fingers. It felt amazing. Lightning almost smiled with her, if she weren't too busy trying to keep up Summer's pleasure. Lightning relished it a thousand times more.

"Light!" Summer panted, breath taken and heaving. Her stomach and chest rippled so alluringly above. Fingers fisted, tight in her hair, but Lightning relished every second she clung. "A little more...!"

Lightning didn't know technique further than what'd been done to herself, and she'd probably been an easy target, but she wanted this to be good for Summer. Let her have as much fun as she was doing this to her. Going on a whim to satisfy, Lightning pulled away her fingers to support under Summer. Summer's wet lips closed over her tongue, but Lightning didn't let her slip away.

On the inhale, she hoisted. Summer's legs were as heavy as expected, muscular, but a lot leaner than Fang's heavy muscle. Lightning lifted them over her shoulders and half-knelt, spearing as far into Summer as she could shove between her folds. "Light!" Summer bucked on the most satisfying pant of her name, she folded. Lightning could've sworn she felt her squeeze and tighten over her tongue, it was that sharp of a squirm. Holding her steady on shoulders, Summer gushed over her tongue and nose, filling her mouth with lust and cum. Lightning didn't mind in the least and didn't choke; rather, she lapped what of Summer she could on the withdraw and tightened her hold. There was no coughing either; just a few deep breaths taken as she held Summer in orgasm. And damn, what a view.

Eyes closed, Summer breathed in deeply, fast at first, but she gradually slowed down. Lightning couldn't stop watching her. Summer's deep breaths eventually turned into a smile that grew. Her eyes didn't open yet, but the awareness was there. "Lightning," Summer cooed, looking happier than happy. Summer rubbed the spot next to her. "Lay with me."

"I'm coming," Lightning promised, starting to lift Summer's legs from her shoulders. She bent to kiss Summer there first, which had her purring. She gently lowered Summer's legs.

"Ohh, Light," Summer's legs curled together as she crawled over. "You'll make me blush."

"No, I won't."

Summer opened smiling eyes on her as Lightning pulled up beside her in the bed. "You'd be surprised. With that tongue... " Summer's eyes shone on her. "Certainly surprised me."

"I tried."

Summer lifted a hand to her cheek and gently brushed her fingers across it. "Are you alright, Light? I didn't hear you coughing, but... I was somewhere else there for a time."

"I'm good," Lightning assured with a faint smile, then added at Summer's tilted head. "It was fun."

"You enjoyed it?" Summer stroked back with a thumb.

"Very much." Lightning licked the reminiscent taste from her lips that hadn't entirely rubbed off. "I'd repeat that first experience. I hope I wasn't too inept."

"Inept?" Summer chuckled and shook her head, "I came, didn't I? You started pulling some Fang tactics there, I noticed. That whisper?" Summer shivered, "Pulling up my legs? I love when she does that to me."

"Fang pulls up your legs?" Lightning batted an eye. Damn, picturing that was sexy. Okay, no more picturing. Lightning's temperature felt up.

"She didn't yours?" Summer asked in surprise. "You did that on your own?"

Lightning gave her an eyebrow. "I thought you'd like it."

Summer's smile grew. "Lightning, you are something. For your first? Damn. I can't even remember how long it's been, but I needed that." Summer fingered a small piece of her hair fondly and brushed it back. "Thank you for it."

Lightning offered half a smile back, but Summer's confession posed a fair question. She really had been off of sex for as long as Lightning had. "I'm surprised you wanted it from me." Lightning didn't move to brush away her hand, but shifted enough so their eyes met. "Being Cocoon?" Lightning specified when she looked, "I thought showing interest in a Cocoon woman was taboo for Yuns."

"It still is," Summer admitted freely, "Probably a little more now, after Fang."

That didn't answer her question. "So?"

"I don't know, Light." Summer confessed, "Fang was right about you. This feels natural with you, feels right. You remind me of Gran Pulse a bit." Summer touched at the hair at the side of her head, smile softening. "And I love your coloring, Lightning. It's precious."

Lightning snorted at that. "Fang liked my hair too," she shook her head softly and added, "It's becoming a fetish for you Yuns far away from home, I see."

"What's a fetish?"

"Yuns don't use 'fetish?'"

"Not that I've heard of."

These Yuns, Lightning thought in her head. "It's a type of obsession." Lightning explained. "Sexual. Something that you always go back to because you like it so much."

"Ohh, your hair," Summer deducted, then looked at Lightning again with a smile. "I'd still have your children, Light. Pink or no pink," she played with another couple strands of it, "I just think it'd be adorable on our child too."

"I doubt your parents would like me any better than Fang."

"...point." Summer admitted, sighing sadly, "But it's a shame. You have such sharp, beautiful features, Lightning. You should make beautiful babies with women."

Lightning's lips twitched. It occurred to her much later that night that Summer was the first one to mention babies without horrible reminiscent. Lightning felt good with her too. She felt better.

"Anyway, Lightning," Summer's hand that'd been hanging out around her face dropped a little, first to her shoulder. She felt the other already at her waist. Fingers slipped in under her belt, and Lightning couldn't help it; she froze up a bit, stiff. "I think I owe you a time here."

As smooth fingers slid over to her belt deftly, a hand stroked down her upper arm to her chest. In a second, Lightning was back there with a drunken Fang fiddling with her belt, ripped open shirt exposing her breasts as Fang leaned into her, leaned in to claim her and kiss. It only took a flash second of a blink; and Summer was back before her again, but Lightning's heart raced. She grabbed Summer's hand at her belt with a rushed breath. "Summer."

Summer met her eyes immediately with a concerned, "Lightning?"

"I'm..." Lightning swallowed and got ahold of herself. "I'm good for tonight. Kinda tired. Can we just... kiss and sleep?"

Summer's hold on her zipper loosened immediately as she looked into Lightning. Lightning lowered her eyes to break from hers, which felt strongly like Summer could see straight through her. "Of course, Lightning," Summer agreed softly. She lifted her hand back a safe distance, then touched Lightning's cheek gently to guide her eyes back. "Light." Half unwilling, Lightning peered back at her in a glimpse. "It's okay," Summer assured in a soft tone that could've been singing, it sounded so pleasant. "I like kissing."

Lightning offered a meek smile, truly half sorry she'd stopped her. She leaned in to kiss Summer again to prove it wasn't her doing that'd stopped them. Summer took in her lips generously with as much grace as ever and lavished Lightning's with warm suckling. She smiled when they parted, but Lightning hoped she hadn't disappointed her by stopping. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Summer's warm hand trailed down her shoulder. "Do you like cuddling?"

She was sweet to ask. The only person Lightning had romantically cuddled with before was Fang; those held some good memories in them. "I can cuddle." Lightning said.

"Big spoon or little?"

Lightning had been Fang's little spoon for a long time. Fang had wormed into her back then. But this wasn't a relationship like she had with Fang. Lightning felt safer on the outside, distanced from that memory. "Big."

"No problem," Summer lifted and kissed her cheek. She began turning on the bed.

"Where's our blanket?" Lightning sat up and glanced over her side of the bed for it. She pulled it up and over them, then to try to stabilize stopping Summer a bit, she undid the rest of her jeans and kicked them off onto the other side of the bed. Then, because she felt a little silly sitting in moist panties alone, Lightning removed them too and deposited them near her jeans. Summer watched the clothing disappear over her shoulder and smiled at Lightning, half buried under the blanket. She didn't say anything as Lightning scooted in against her from behind, blanket only up to their hips, but her happiness was plain to see.

"Mmm," Summer scooted up into her as Lightning wrapped an arm around the woman. Summer tilted her head back and looked up at Lightning with those glittering eyes. "Good night kiss?"

Lightning leaned in and obliged; one thing she didn't have a problem with was kissing this woman. Summer made her good and comfortable every time they touched lips. When the slow, long and tasteful kiss ended, she settled back in with her head tucked against Lightning's shoulder. A little taller than Lightning overall, Summer started a couple inches lower for her to fit. "Thank you," Summer purred warmly.

Lightning secured her arm around her to hold her in that close position. "Good night, Summer."

"Sweet dreams, Lightning."

As Lightning tucked in against her and closed her eyes to sleep, she remembered a moment long before Jihl or their problems; it was a moment of sharing her bed with another woman, and a peace she'd never thought she'd have with anybody, let alone a Yun.

Heart slowing back to normal, Lightning remembered how comfortable this could be. She savored it with her second Yun. Lightning wouldn't get many more of these.

**XXX**

Summer felt the movement before she even woke up fully. The warm body around her started to pull away. Summer opened her eyes as the soft pads of feet touched the flooring. Lightning's arm and body were completely gone. Sounding frazzled, Lightning grumbled something in muttering that wasn't quite distinguishable. Her feet padded away from the bed. Summer frowned a little, heart dropping in disappointment. Was Lightning leaving her tonight?

In another couple seconds, Lightning came into view. She slowly, grumpily walked to the door. Summer wanted to call out to her, but if Lightning felt uncomfortable enough that she had to leave, then it wasn't her place to. Still, Summer couldn't help the small creep of disappointment from settling in. She'd enjoyed Lightning that night. Lightning had been too shy to go all the way with her back, but Summer didn't fault her for it. She'd seen the petrified fear in Lightning's eyes over it, and really, if Lightning still had those issues getting intimate with someone, it was a miracle and blessing that she'd gone as far as she had with Summer. If only Summer could erase that fear.

Lightning reached out a door for the handle. She turned the lock. Summer blinked as Lightning turned back around towards her and headed back. "Should've done that before," Lightning muttered, coming around the other side of the bed. She moved half under the blankets again and slid in against Summer's back. "Sorry to wake you," Lightning apologized, seeing her eyes had opened.

"It's okay," Summer forgave, still a little startled, but overwhelmingly pleased and relieved. She glanced at the locked door again and a faint smile started to grow. Cocoonians had such silly customs about sex. "Looking for privacy, Lightning?"

"Take it as a Cocoon thing," Lightning cuddled into her back and bowed her head against her. "I don't want to be interrupted."

Summer clasped gentle fingers over the hand at her belly. "I'm glad, I think." Lightning kissed the top of her head. Summer smiled and tucked in. "You remind me of Fang a little, Light."

"Do I?"

Summer nodded once softly, all tucked in. "Fang cuddles nicely too."

"I remember that," Lightning confirmed as well. "I... liked letting Fang hold me back then."

"She knows how to make a girl feel good," Summer agreed. She glanced back. "Sort of like you, Light."

Lightning's arm squeezed around her stomach gently. She bent and kissed the top of Summer's head. "Thanks for inviting me, Summer."

Summer laid her fingers over Lightning's once more and twined them. "Thanks for staying, Light."

Lightning didn't get up again the rest of the night.


	20. Chapter 20

Late the next morning when Lightning finally woke up, it was to find an empty bed before her. Lightning rolled on it and glanced to the door, which was unlocked. Sitting up with a yawn, she stretched out stiff limbs and moved to the side of the bed where a small stack of clothes were.

Her panties were ruined and needed a wash. Lightning needed a wash, in fact, but Summer didn't have a bathroom connected to her room. Lightning pulled on her pants without them and re-fastened her bra. Balling her panties in a fist, she slipped them into a back pocket, then finally pulled on her shirt overtop. Lightning checked the desk clock, which blinked 8:20 in red. Serah was probably still sleeping at this hour.

Pushing out the bedroom door, Lightning was hit with a wafting smell of good food. She followed it to the kitchen and stopped in the doorway, sights set on Summer standing over a couple of pans on the stove with a steaming waffle burner beside her. She made such a morning picture.

Someone giggled at the table. Lightning blinked to see Serah there, huddled in with Lebreau over food and wearing the biggest shit-eating grin Lightning had ever seen on anyone. "Morning, Claire," Serah giggled again, all in cohorts with no mercy.

"You're up early."

"I woke up at six to go to the bathroom," Serah confessed, not looking at her, but smiling unrelentingly. "I noticed you weren't there."

"You certainly look refreshed this morning," Lebreau commented on aside. Serah snorted in laughter. "Bed hair suits you, Lightning."

Lightning shook her head and left the two giggling teenagers to their mechanics. She crossed over to Summer at the stove, who wore a more pleasant smile. "You're making breakfast again," Lightning observed the pan of crisping bacon, a hot waffle iron, and an empty pan that'd held something else.

"I am," Summer admitted, "Cheese and egg souffles are in the oven. Serah said these are your favorites."

"And she made them all for you," Serah practically sang, she sounded so gleeful. "Kind of like how Hawke reacts when I please her really badly!"

"I'm all ears for details," Lebreau agreed. "Summer's made us a feast! What'd you do to her, Lightning? It involve licking?"

"You want to get them back?" Summer asked softly in a hushed whisper. Lightning arched an eyebrow to show she'd heard. Summer slid in an arm around her and pulled Lightning close to her. Aloud, she said, "It did, indeed." Her lips were on her. Though Serah was there too, Lebreau's immediate reaction kept her from pulling away. Something skittered and crashed as Lebreau cursed loudly.

"Where's my fucking Kodiak!" She scrambled, and Lightning enjoyed a long, sweet kiss in the morning that reminded her of her evening last night. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!"

Summer pulled away with misted eyes of happiness. "Good morning, Light."

"No, stay there!" Lebreau crumpled and whined. "Someone stole my Kodiak."

Summer stroked down her bed hair with a private smile meant for Lightning.

_"You?" _Lightning mouthed, half proud when Summer turned away with a twinkle in her eye.

"Sit down," Summer nodded to the table. "Breakfast will be ready soon."

"Did you get any sleep, Claire?" Serah asked, then buried guilty eyes in her waffle, smile wide.

"Plenty."

"You got to cuddle her, then?"

"Where'd it go?" Lebreau despaired, still on her knees on the floor.

"I don't pry about Hawke."

"You don't want to hear about what I do with Hawke, though."

"No, I don't."

"Well," Serah returned to her waffle with a little smile, "As long as you're happy, I'm happy too, Claire."

"I'm not happy." Lebreau slumped miserably in a chair.

"I'll give you a hug later today, Lebreau." Summer promised, perking Lebreau right up again. She brought over a plate for Lightning with a big waffle on it, two globbles of butter eyes, and a bacon mouth smiling at her. "I'm used to cooking for kids," Summer explained, then went back for Lightning's souffle.

"Thank you for breakfast."

"Thank you for dessert," Summer returned evenly, bringing back a smaller dish with her souffle. "And eat up. I have more coming. I know you have that court hearing thing today; Serah tells me they're long and stressful, so at least you can have a full stomach before you go in today." Summer came back to the table with her own plates and sat with them.

"How long have you been up?" Lightning asked, cutting into her waffle with a fork.

"Oh, just a few hours," Summer brushed off. "Mornings are easy for me. And I'll say, that waffle press is a wonderful invention. I'm going to miss some of the tools you have here."

"They make one that runs off batteries." Lightning offered, "We can get you one before you go back at the end of the week."

"Batteries?" Summer asked.

"It's a sort of portable electrical power source." Lightning explained. "It'll power the device without need for an outlet or power towers that Gran Pulse doesn't have."

"Amazing," Summer shook her head in awe. "If we have time, I would like that. Fang would love these waffle pancakes. Even my dad would like them if she didn't know it came from a Cocoon device."

Lightning smiled mutely at the thought of Summer tricking her parents with it. She was kind of curious where the girl originated from now. If Summer was like this, Lightning couldn't even imagine the mother and father that bore her this well.

"Do you need a ride to the courts, Light?" Lebreau asked, "We can stick around for moral support if you want."

"That's okay," Lightning forgave, not really wanting them to be there to see it all. She rubbed the back of her neck, strained about it. "My lawyer might ask for character witnesses, then I might call you and Serah, but otherwise... it's just going to be messy in there."

"Claire," Serah reached out a hand, completely sobered as she took Lightning's. "We can stay with you. You don't have to do this alone."

Lightning bit her lip. "It's not going to be friendly in there."

"Which is why we should be there." Serah insisted, squeezing her hand. "Please, Claire. Let us come with you."

**XXX**

When Lightning stepped free and clear of the car, Summer didn't know what to think. Having been in the second vehicle, she hadn't seen Lightning on their way out to the courts, but now that she was there...

Summer drew to her by pure instinct. Lightning gave her one of those eyebrows she was so good at quirking, but Summer couldn't keep from staring. "Wow," Summer breathed, touching the white collar of her uniform next to a double striped shoulder badge of her position. The white uniform fit every corner, every tight-fitted spot. Summer's other hand dropped to her hip. Lightning jumped a little when fingers slid over her ass. She grabbed Summer's hands.

"Not here."

Summer bowed her head once and stepped back with a glance to the tall, erected, marble-stone courthouse. "One of those places, huh?"

"Yes," Lightning cleared her throat, also looking behind her at the courthouse. "Look, Summer," worried eyes returned to Summer, "You can't say anything in there. No matter how bad they speak of me or how much bullshit's going on. Spectactors aren't allowed to talk on the sidelines. Not for any reason. Okay?"

"I can behave."

Lightning gave her another eyebrow. "We'll see."

**XXX**

"The defense calls Candice Wellington to the stand."

"The defense is heard," the judge echoed dryly, then waved the gavel to the right. "Please take the witness stand, Ms. Wellington."

Serah held her breath as the blonde woman made her way to the stand. Looking quite young, Candice only seemed a couple years older than herself. She was just a pup in all this. Serah hoped she testified well. Lightning really needed it.

Candice stood in front of them, but didn't sit just yet. The judge asked, "By Eden and the god or goddess above, do you swear to tell the truth?"

"I do."

"And do you understand the full consequencing penalty of committing perjury in this courtroom today?"

"I do." Candice swore under oath.

"Sit down," the judge waved down. "The defense may proceed."

"They do that with every witness?" Summer asked quietly in a whisper.

"It's the law," Serah answered again, glancing at her. "Just protocol so they know everyone understands."

"Seems a little redundant." Summer sat back in her seat. For as long as this had dragged out for Serah, she imagined it seemed equally as horrible for her Yun partner beside her. They'd been here five hours already going through bries and preliminaries; Lebreau had already had to leave. Yuns weren't used to sitting still for so long; and anyone could see how fidgety Summer was getting. Serah debated taking her outside a few minutes to let off some steam, but this was actually a witness she wanted to hear and needed. Candice was Lightning's best defense in all this.

"Candice," Lightning's defense attorney, Hillary Nicks, was a Guardian Corps appointed woman with a keen eye and attention to detail. For someone they hadn't had a choice in picking, she seemed a decent attorney. The Guardian Corps didn't like this publicity as much as anyone, it seemed. "I know it may be difficult for you, but will you please tell us in full detail what happened leading up to the prosecution's injury?"

"Sure," Candice glanced at the prosecution's side where Noel sat, hooked up to a machine for injury and bandaged six ways to heaven across the face like a mummy. She swallowed. Hillary stepped in front of her sightline and re-directed.

"Don't look at them, Candice." Candice refocused her eyes on Hillary, who nodded encouragingly. "Just tell us what happened."

Serah held her breath. If Candice didn't speak-

"I was in my bunker room." Candice started, making Serah breathe out in relief. "The door opened behind me. I thought it was Lightning. I said hello, but she didn't answer me. I'd just started to turn around and look when he grabbed me." she motioned. "By the throat so I couldn't scream."

"Without provocation?"

"No, I mean," Candice adjusted in her seat. "We've exchanged words before. I didn't particularly like Noel, but... I didn't think he'd blitz attack me."

"The defense would like to register into evidence Exhibit 22 B, your honor," Hillary went back to the table where Lightning sat with her back straight in her seat, in the middle of all of this. "The bruises on Candice' neck for the jury."

"So entered," the judge passed, waving a hand over for the jury to receive them. Hillary laid one on her table as well. "Proceed, Ms. Wellington."

"The attack startled me." Candice admitted. "He had the leverage and he shoved me against the dresser."

"By the neck?"

"Yes," Candice confirmed. "He felt so strong. I... I barely realized who he was or what was happening by the time he pulled a knife on me. Had it pressed up to my neck; right here." Candice pointed to the spot. "He was still choking me. Said he'd slit my throat if I screamed."

"Your hands were free," Hillary pointed out. "Why didn't you fight back?"

Candice head lowered in shame. "I know I was a GC trainee, but... I froze up. I was scared... I thought he was going to kill me."

"Well, that's understandable." Hillary said, "I'd be pretty scared with a knife at my throat too."

"Objection," the prosecution raised. "Is there a question in there?"

"Keep going, Ms. Wellington. And watch it, Ms. Nicks."

"After that, he told me to spread them."

"Your legs?" Hillary asked.

"Yeah..." Candice lowered her eyes. "I... didn't process it at first, so I didn't do anything. He got angry. Took me by the neck away from the dresser and threw me to the floor. I started kicking then, but he dropped on me... was heavy. He pinned my legs with his knees and grabbed my wrists together. He kept them pinned with one hand, then... cut my jeans. He pulled them down below my waist and... started unzipping. I felt numb for most of it. Couldn't even struggle. I couldn't believe I was going to be raped. Then, Lightning came." Candice looked her way and offered a meek smile. "She saved me."

"And did he say anything while doing this?"

"Just a lot of 'shut up, bitch'es in the beginning. When Lightning came in, though, he'd started to whisper to me... about how bitchy me and Lightning are and how we've never had a real man before, that's how we turned out to be lesbian traitors... that kind of stuff."

"Anything else?" Hillary pushed.

"Um, right as Lightning came in," Candice added, "He said he was giving me a going away present for my girlfriend."

"He meant Lightning?"

"Yeah."

"Are you and Lightning involved, Ms. Wellington?"

"No, no," Candice looked up again at Lightning with a small smile. "I'm not that lucky."

"He's an animal," Summer growled softly beside her, narrowed eyes only focused on Noel. Serah nervously put a hand on her lap.

"Shh, Summer," she tried to calm a little, "It's okay. He'll get what's coming to him. Claire already castrated him."

"A pity we can't do it again," Summer rumbled, unhappy.

Serah's eyebrows went up, but she didn't question it. In front of them, the prosecutor started in on Candice.

"How long have you been in the Guardian Corps boot camp, Ms. Wellington."

"Six months."

"Six months," the prosecutor repeated with raised eyebrows. "That's half a year. A long time, wouldn't you say?"

"Objection," Defense raised. "Relevance?"

"Am I not allowed to question the alleged victim's background now, judge?"

"Overruled," the judge nodded to prosecution. "You may proceed, Luvanski."

"In those six months," he went on, "Did you ever have any problems with other trainees, Ms. Wellington?"

"Every soldier has the occasional squabble with a teammate."

"Is that what you had with Mr. Kreiss? A squabble?"

"We didn't get along." Candice said, "Noel was always harassing Lightning for her involvement in the old PSICOM scandal. He blamed her for it, so he always gave her a hard time. I've gotten into a couple of fights with him for being such a dick to her."

"By Lightning, you mean Claire Farron, your roommate?"

"She prefers to be called Lightning."

"Mm-hm," the prosecutor nodded, "You train by Lightning? Learn weapons, defense, practice with each other and such?"

"She's my roommate." Candice specified, "So yeah, we've trained together."

"But she's not your girlfriend."

"No," Candice said adamantly, "She's just a really good friend of mine who stuck up for me when your client was being a prick."

"What is he getting at?" Summer asked, not as quietly as last time with her brow furrowing on the prosecution intently.

"Shh," Serah hushed her. "We'll see in a moment."

"Do you like girls, Candice?"

"Objection."

"Establishing alternate theory on the crime, your honor. The question relates directly to that theory."

"Overruled. Ms. Wellington, please answer the question. "

"Um," Candice blinked, taken aback, and glanced in the crowd's direction nervously. "I have friends."

"Sexually?"

"Your honor- "

"I said overruled, Ms. Nicks. Ms. Wellington?" Candice was quiet a moment, prompting the judge to push. "Ms. Wellington, please answer the question."

"What's wrong with her?" Summer asked.

"They're forcing the question on her," Serah told, getting nervous. "I don't think she's come out of the closet. Her parents are in here."

"What does all that mean?" Summer didn't understand. "What does her sexuality have to do with anything?"

"Ms. Wellington, you are under oath." The judge reminded, "You'll provide this court an answer, or you'll be arrested for court misconduct until you provide an answer. Answer the question."

"I'm bisexual." Candice said quietly.

"What?" Someone else in the crowd spoke up loudly, then stood to protest it. "That's a lie!" A red-faced man in the crowd pointed to her accusingly. "Why are you lying in court, Candice?!"

"Jacob- " the woman next to him grabbed for his arm.

"ORDER!" The judge shouted over them all, "ORDER IN THE COURT! Sir, sit down before I fine and jail you for court misconduct."

"It's a lie!" The man insisted, practically snarling, "My daughter is not a filthy dyke! Candice, tell them!"

"Daddy, I'm sorry." Candice apologized meekly.

"You tell them, Candice! I didn't raise no fucking dyke!"

"Guards!" The judge called in. "Remove this man from my courtroom!"

"Dad- "

"CANDICE, TELL THEM!" He shouted, even as guards pulled up to restrain them. "YOU'RE NOT A DYKE!"

"What the fuck kind of father- "

Serah's eyes popped as Summer started to stand. She did the quickest thing she could to get her down and sat on her. "Summer, shh!" Serah hushed, covering her mouth over the man's yelling. "You can't do that." Serah told earnestly. "You'll make it worse for Claire if all her followers start a ruckus."

Summer glared, but obeyed for the moment. She stared after him being dragged out, still shouting. "What the fuck's his problem?"

"Being gay isn't such a positive thing here," Serah lifted her hands to settle her. "Shh, Summer. Just let it play out. Claire's going to come out of this okay."

"I don't like this," Summer growled, but stayed put. "This whole court set up. I don't like it, Serah."

"I know," Serah soothed her. "It's okay. We just need to listen, okay?"

"So, in all your six months, living and sleeping next to this beautiful, lesbian legend. Sharing duties with her, the same showers and bedroom, you never once... experimented? Got a little curious with your friend there?"

"Absolutely not," Candice shook her head. "No. Lightning and I are just friends; that's it."

"Really?" he pressed, "All those months?"

"Being bisexual doesn't mean I sleep around with every pretty woman I meet," there was a sniffle amongst the onlookers. Candice was starting to look nervous glancing over them. "It's- no. I've never had anything more than friendship with Lightning."

"That's not what some of your trainees claim. In fact, when informed of your preferences, seventy-two percent of your bunker block admitted to suspecting a relationship between you two."

"What?" Candice paled on the stand, "You told my bunker block?"

"Seventy-two percent."

"Is he allowed to do that?" Candice confidence had started to crumble. "I... my privacy doesn't protect that?"

"Judge," Hillary stood again. "May I have a moment with my witness?"

"Interference during cross examination is prohibited, no matter what the case of emotional distress. Defense should've worked this out with her witness beforehand if she wanted a moment."

"I'm sorry," the judge agreed, "He's right." She turned to the Candice. "Ms. Wellington, please take a breath. I know this is difficult- "

"What do you know? My dad just walked out on me. My mom's crying. Every woman on my bunker block just accused me because apparently, two lesbians can't sleep in the same room without fucking." she covered her forehead with her hands, freaking out. "Eden."

"You're good at that, aren't you, Candice?" the prosecutor pressed, unrelenting. "Playing the victim. Making up theories and stories so people feel bad for you."

"The f- " Serah covered Summer's mouth.

"Shh!"

"Just like you've made up this story about Noel attacking you, didn't you?"

Candice looked up sharply, really sweating it out now. "I'm not making that up!"

"Oh, really?" the prosecutor sneered. "We're supposed to believe a six-month boot camp veteran did nothing to defend herself when my client came in, unprovoked, and threw you to the ground to rape you? Then, your girlfriend just happens to appear in the doorway where only you two are witness, beats the shit out of the man you've admitted to having arguments with and accidentally castrates him on the go?"

"Lightning's not my girlfriend!" Candice sweated, "And I told you! I froze up! I was never that good in bootcamp, I- "

"I have a different theory for you, Candice," the prosecutor overran. "It starts with you luring my client into your bedroom on the pretense of having sex. It includes being in cohorts with your girlfriend to hurt him. And it ends in you and the defend setting up shop to frame my client for rape when all he is guilty of is bad judgement for being drawn out by you!"

"What the fuck is this shit!" Serah squeaked as Summer pushed her aside off her lap and stood. "The girl has strangulation bruising on her neck, and you can sit there trying to accuse her?"

"Judge!"

"I'll have order in this court!" The judge shouted again, "Young lady, sit down!"

"No," Summer balked, brushing aside Serah's hands as she tread to reach for her too. "There's nothing in order about this court. It's clear what he did," she glared at Noel, and Serah could almost feel it melting steel, "He's been whispering about it all this morning. 'Accuse her of this,' 'Make her look like a dyke,' 'we'll say it was a set up."

"Hey!" The prosecutor suddenly barked to attention. "That is attorney -client privilege! How does this woman even know any of it? The defense have bugged my office!"

"Order!" the judge shouted again, "I'll have order!"

"I heard it, you asswipe," Summer growled, angry as all hell, "Just like I've been hearing all the whispers in this court." In the back of the room, three uniformed PSICOM agents stood, making Serah nervous. But Summer wasn't anywhere near done yet. "'Dyke' this, 'lesbian' that. Juror six is a fucking gay basher, and this system is supposed to be fair?"

"Summer," Serah pulled on her arm in pleading, but Summer completely ignored her. Lightning's posture had gone rigid and tight in her seat ahead of them.

"Guards! Remove this woman! I'm declaring a mistrial here."

"Judge!" Prosecution protested. Hillary started to speak to Lightning quickly then.

"Don't touch me," Summer pushed off with a hand, sending the man who'd come after her half into the weak wooden wall on that side of the room. "This court is bullshit. Gran Pulse would've seen him _and _that prosecutor castrated and tortured already. Lightning has done a service for this world. Where's her commendation?" Summer practically spat. "There is no justice to be had in this world."

As two more guards approached to attempt a takedown, the PSICOM guys in the back started advancing. "Halt!" Serah startled when the two guards listened instead and froze in their spots. PSICOM advanced: three male soldiers in tow. "You are Yun, madam?"

Hillary kept Lightning sitting, Serah noted out of the corner of her eye. This wasn't good. "No shit, I'm Yun," Serah winced. She took one look at the men before her and snarled. "Why? You want to interrogate me too? I'll beat your asses with my own damn hands too"

"Summerrr," Serah cringed, pulling on her arm. "Please sit down." she asked in a hushed whisper. "Please."

The men exchanged a look. One in particular leaned to the other and asked something quietly.

"If you can't tell I'm Yun, you're dumber than we give you credit for in Gran Pulse." Summer sneered, obviously overhearing. The middle man stepped forward to ask.

"You're here to monitor the trial proceedings over Ms. Farron?"

"Here to monitor bullshit, is more like it. This court is a joke."

Two of the operatives exchanged glances. Serah's throat felt so tight. They could arrest Summer right here and now for being in contempt of court. Fang would flip over herself freaking out. Summer could handle herself, but Serah didn't want her put in jail either over court. The third one cleared his throat. "I know our policies are different, Ms..."

"Summer," Summer glared. "Just Summer."

"Summer," the man repeated, "But we're here to inform you Ms. Farron has full PSICOM support. We've already recommended sentencing to the judge here."

The prosecutor balked. "I haven't even made my case against her yet! What is this PSICOM bullshit barging in?"

"PSICOM has jurisdiction here," the man answered the prosecutor, then turned back to Summer. "She won't spend a day in jail, Summer. You can report this back to the Yuns. PSICOM's been watching over Ms. Farron for months now for her own protection. We've intervened everywhere we could on her behalf. You have my promise she's under Federal PSICOM protection with us."

"This is a set up trial!" Prosecution roared.

"It's been a weak promise from what I've seen. Still haven't found Jihl, have you? Where's Fang's protection in all this?"

"Ma'am," the PSICOM agent held his cool, never once raising his voice or being disrespectful. "We can only say so much, but if you come outside with us and let this hearing proceed, we will fill you in on what we can so that you may report back to the Yuns however you see fit."

Summer's eyes narrowed suspiciously. She glanced up at the courtroom where Candice sat. "Stop making a mockery of her plight and I'll go with you."

The soldier nodded, then turned. "Judge, by PSICOM authority under General Hayes, I'm dismissing your jury and taking Noel into PSICOM custody for evaluation."

The judge threw up her hands. "Just take my courtroom."

"You may still sentence Ms. Farron to reprimand, if you so choose."

"So chosen," the judge sighed, "Ms. Farron, you are reprimanded and put on probation. Your PSICOM escort will sentence the details. The jury is dismissed: thank you for your service."

"W-what?" The prosecutor went through his papers, "But judge- !"

"Dismissed!" the judge pounded her gavel. "Pull your PSICOM from my courtroom, Raynolds. And send my grievances to Hayes." she muttered something else, but only Summer seemed able to hear it.

"Madam," the agent offered, holding out his arm for Summer to in the pointed way.

"Come on, Lightning," Summer scoffed at the gesture. Candice finally pulled herself from hugging her. "Let's get out of here."

Lightning walked out a free woman. Mostly, anyway.


	21. Chapter 21

"Are you sure you're okay with it, Claire?" Serah came back over bearing hot tea. Lightning had started to detect a trend of it. Summer had brought her tea to ease her too.

"I didn't lose my job," Lightning reminded as Serah set it down. "We were actually lucky Summer was there. They thought Gran Pulse sent her to monitor what's going on with me. That's why they intervened like they did when they did- to save face in front of the Yuns." Lightning ran a hand through her hair, stressed. She wasn't happy with it, but that court date had gone as well as it possibly could've with PSICOM's intervention on her behalf. It didn't mean she had to like it, but at least Serah hadn't had to watch her get fired and jailed for assaulting Noel the way she had.

"Yeah, but therapy…" Serah reminded, bringing up one of the conditions of her staying on. "Are you going to be okay talking to a therapist?"

"It's only for six months," Lightning tried to assure and barely kept from wincing herself to say it. At Serah's doubtful expression, she added, "I'll live."

"I don't know, Claire." Serah seemed more anxious as she wrapped warm fingers around her cup. "I don't like the idea of a PSICOM therapist for half a year. It's like they want to keep watching you; keep their hooks in."

It was exactly what they wanted, Lightning reckoned. She didn't mistake any therapist-confidentiality agreements. Whatever she told the therapist, PSICOM would be sure to know. They were dirty like that. "I'll be careful." Lightning assured her. "You know me, Serah. I'm not going to open up to a stranger and lament everything."

"I know," Serah took a small sip, then put the cup back down when it was too hot. "Just… watch yourself. PSICOM's capable of some pretty horrible stuff. I mean, two of their top executives were obsessed with getting with you, and the other tried to ruin your life. I just don't want to see you go through that again, Claire."

"You won't." Lightning promised. "I'll take care of myself, Serah."

Serah offered a meek smile back. "At least you got to stay with the GC and the assault charges were wiped."

"PSICOM's good for something when they're trying to save their reputation." Lightning pointed out.

"I'm just really glad you're out of it and in the clear." Serah reached across the table and took Lightning's hand in earnest. "You'll tell me if you need me back here after I leave, won't you, Claire?"

Lightning's head and heart both hurt at the question. Serah's life was away now; and she was happy there. Lightning didn't intend to pull her away from that more than she needed to. She had to just cherish the times she had her. But Serah was looking to her in all honesty with her heart, and Lightning didn't lie to her anymore. "If I need you, Serah," Lightning promised, "I'll call."

"Thanks, Claire."

**XXX**

Lightning closed the door behind her gently as the Yun sitting on the bedside facing the wall looked up and back. She smiled at Lightning warmly with the door closing. "Don't forget to lock it."

"I'm not here for that." Lightning interejected quickly, softly. She stared across the room as Summer stood from the bed.

"No?" Summer asked, maybe even sounded disappointed if Lightning wasn't making that up to herself. "What's happening, then? Are we going out somewhere else?"

"Not right now." Lightning paused. A beat passed before Summer cued.

"I get the feeling you're upset about something." Damn, she had good instincts too. Was there anything this woman wasn't good at? "Is it about the PSICOM man? I didn't like the way he laid out terms like he expected you to follow them."

"I _am _expected to follow them," Lightning said. "That's why they pulled me out of court. To give an alternate, preferable set of rules."

"He was demeaning to you."

"That's how lawyers talk." Lightning shook her head. This wasn't what she came here to talk to Summer about. "You shouldn't have spoken out in court." Lightning re-directed, getting to her point. "You said you wouldn't."

"That was before they started tearing a rape victim apart in front of everyone," Summer's disgust was clear. "Did you see her father abandon her? After almost being raped! And he's more concerned about her sexuality than caring for her. I'm surprised you didn't speak out."

"It's not allowed," Lightning reminded, "I told you that before we went in. You said you could behave."

"Am I hearing this right?" Summer approached with a raised brow until she was in front of Lightning, who's back was to the door. "I'm being reprimanded for calling bullshit when they tried to tear into your victimized friend in public?"

When she put it in her simplified, Yun way, it sounded worse, but Summer had promised she'd be good in court. Lightning couldn't help but be a little miffed she wasn't. "It's a rule. Prosecutors are allowed to do that to a witness."

Summer squinted with a small turn of her chin, looking at Lightning. "Are you angry at me?"

"No," Lightning huffed, "You probably saved my job, just - you shouldn't have. You could've ended up in jail for that."

"Lightning," Summer's hands touched her shoulders, "These rules make no sense; and you're confusing us both. You're stiff as a board and I can almost taste your stress. Lie down with me."

"I don't think sex is going to help." Lightning started to protest softly, though her feet were already walking alongside Summer to the bed.

"I won't have sex with you," Summer said, retreating back to the door a moment. "Not unless you ask me for it."

"You're locking the door." Lightning pointed out.

"I know you like privacy." Summer turned back to her. "Take your shirt off, Light."

Lightning blinked. "...interesting way to start our non-sexual encounter in here."

"You can keep it on if it makes you nervous." Lightning eyed her, a little wary, but reached down for the top button of her GC jacket. Summer wouldn't do anything she said she wouldn't, Lightning trusted. Summer offered her a smile as she started to remove the jacket. "I still like the way that looks on you."

"Thank you." Lightning peeled off the jacket and undershirt, left in her bra before Summer. She quirked an eyebrow at her when the woman sat on the bed ledge, staring with a small smile on the edge of her lips. "My bra too?"

"If you want to," Summer said, smile forming in that specific way that could drive a woman crazy. "I wouldn't object."

Lightning reached back for her bra clasp, eyes staying on Summer. Her smile became even more pleasant with the article's removal, but her eyes didn't waver from Lightning's face. "Are you comfortable?"

"I would be more so if I knew what we're doing, not having sex with my clothes off."

That twinkle touched Summer's eyes which made them glimmer ever so beautifully. "Lay down, Light," Summer kind of asked, but more so told as she nodded to the bed there. "I want to make you comfortable."

"That doesn't sound sexual."

Summer smiled a tad more as Lightning started to lay down on her back, more interested than she cared to show about this offer. "On your stomach, Light." Summer asked, raising a pink eyebrow until she finally clarified. "I want to give you a massage."

"Is that what we're doing?"

"Fang mentioned you liked them in one of her talks."

Lightning bit the inside of her lip as she rolled onto her stomach for Summer, a little tentative. "Fang still talks about me?" she laid her head on the pillow at Summer's first touch. She tried to avoid the initial flinch of contact.

"Mhmm," Summer gently fingered near her shoulders. "Tell me if you're uncomfortable," Summer noted the flinch, not missing a beat.

"It's okay," Lightning mumbled, wishing she weren't so observant. To change the subject, she asked, "What's Fang say?"

Summer's fingers laid into her slowly, but nuzzled into the skin to muscle. Her hands felt almost as strong as Fang's, and when Lightning closed her eyes, she couldn't really notice a difference. Lightning kept her mouth shut, fighting back the groan. Summer's hands were a powerful drug; and they'd only just gotten started. "She remembers the good things," Summer told, voice as relaxing as her fingers dug in deep, loosening the very muscle and tissue of Lightning's back. Eden, that felt good. "Talks about your training sessions, which she loved, and the week you spent here. Sometimes about Jaeger and Anya. Sometimes about how you were with my kids."

Summer rubbed in her thumbs to her shoulderblades on a knot and squeezed firmly, but gentle, massaging the muscle as much as the skin. Lightning's heart pounded strong as those hands worked her well; occasionally stiffening for how good it felt; good and relaxing, God. "I never really apologized for that," Summer went on, lowering just a little, reaching areas Lightning hadn't known _could _be stiff. "I'm sorry for snatching away my kids that day. I thought you were out to hurt Fang back then, and when I saw you with my little ones… "

"Don't worry about it," Lightning forgave with a little grunt when she spoke. "You were right in the end."

Summer stayed quiet a moment and Lightning steered her mind away from just how right Summer had been - she had to try to get better about these what ifs. There wasn't any changing it now. But when Summer spoke again, she hadn't dropped it just yet. It seemed like she wanted to explain herself from back then. "I was jealous of you, Light." Lightning glanced back over her shoulder. Summer gave her a hapless look, smooth fingers continuing down every smooth contour of Lightning's skin. "And judgemental," Summer said, "You had Fang's love, and Fang's a one-woman girl. I couldn't see how Fang would've wanted an uptight Cocoon woman over me."

"You've got me there," Lightning admitted because it was a sensible thing to wonder. Summer was beautiful, wonderful, and Yun. "Fang's a little weird sometimes."

Summer gave a little chuckle. "She is, sometimes." Summer admitted. "But she wasn't wrong that time." Hands pressed into her skin and were warm. "I can see why she fell in love with you, Light."

Lightning's fingers curled into the blankets. Her heart beat something strong at the words. Even if she didn't agree, it reverberated powerfully that Summer would say that. No one had even seen that kind of worth in her but Fang before. "Thank you." Lightning voiced quietly when she could, not glancing back. Her jaw felt too tight to get out more than that. Summer's palms dug into her back, moving skin and muscle both in their thorough grinding.

"It's true, Light."

Lightning bit her lip. The apology and sweet words struck a little too close to home. It was the sweet kind of thing Fang would've said to make her feel wanted and worthy back then. Even her hands felt as good as Fang's on her skin. Feeling a little too close to it, Lightning silently cursed when Summer squeezed into her back again. "Damn," she squeezed her eyes shut. "Are all Yuns this good?"

Summer smiled softly, "I haven't had any that were bad yet."

"Eden," Why did that sound so hot? She was speaking of other bedmates, for fuck's sake. That shouldn't be so damn sexy!

"Lightning," Summer said with a fond smile, fingers working down her back in every tight place on her body. "You can touch me if you want." Oh, God. Lightning practically shivered with it. Summer's fingers glided down her back, "Touch me like you did last night." palms roughed into her skin, "I don't mind letting you top. Yesterday was so pleasurable. I had such a good time. Of course," Summer added, fingers pressing into her sides so luxuriously, "I'm happy to keep touching you too… if you're enjoying it."

"If," Lightning balked in scoffing, but now her mind was on Summer's lips. Her lips, hands, voice, and breasts - everything on this woman felt good. Lightning had even liked licking her out. Eden; how had they gotten to this point again? "I came in here to reprimand you."

"You did," Summer agreed, not pausing for a beat with those godly hands on her. "But this seems like more fun. Your smell is arousing me, Lightning. I think we should take advantage of it." Dammit. Her assumptive knowing - fuck, it was hot. Lightning didn't know anyone else with this much confidence who was also so right. It fit her fine. God.

"Where's Serah?" Lightning got on, the verge of sitting up and grabbing Summer to kiss again.

"Yuns don't usually involve relatives in sex, but if it has a different connotation in Cocoon, I hear her in the living room. Did you want her to join?"

"What? No, that's- no."

"Then, why'd you want to know where she is?" Summer asked, genuinely curious. "Oh. Is this another Cocoon privacy thing? I locked the door if that helps."

"Eden," Lightning shook her head in her pillow. "Just kiss me already."

"As you wish." Lightning lifted her head, but Summer had already lowered hers. Soft lips pressed to the dip in her back above her jean line where Summer had worked down to. Lightning's toes curled. Summer's hand moved down further than that, over her ass. She gently cupped a cheek, then squeezed it, lips moving down closer to her jean line. "Lightning," Summer murmured as fingers started to massage her ass through jeans. She sounded so damn sexy with that voice.

"I'm never going to get my pants off if you keep massaging my ass." Summer lifted her lips from the dip in Lightning's back and smiled. She gave her another amorous squeeze before Lightning rolled onto her back and sat up to kiss the side of Summer's head. "Stop that," she hissed, feeling Summer's fingers under her butt and still squeezing. Summer chuckled.

"But you seem to like it so much."

Lightning grabbed the front of her shirt and re-directed her face to kiss her properly on the lips. Summer was still smiling as she finally slid her hand free to touch Lightning's shoulder and lay the other up against her cheek. Lightning lost herself in kissing Summer. Everything about this woman, from her perfect looks and sexy voice to the way she tasted and even the smell of her, Lightning found undeniable. She was the pure embodiment of sexy and she revved Lightning right up. Her heart already pounding fast, Lightning couldn't get enough.

Summer chuckled and tugged Lightning over by the grip on her arm. She effortlessly rolled to her back, carrying Lightning with her on top. Lightning released a breath and kissed her again, heart pounding in her chest. Summer massaged her arm with those fingers, delighted to receive her. "Light," Summer's second hand moved over her ass again, which she cupped and squeezed, then gave her a breathtaking smile when Lightning lifted her face to her again. "You really like that, don't you?"

Lightning was not an ass woman. She actually would've confessed to liking squeezing Fang's tight butt more than her own being touched, but hell if Summer wasn't making her one right now. "I'd like it more without the jeans."

"So anxious for me to get them off you today." Summer said with a growing smile. "Did you want me to rip them?"

Lightning quirked an eyebrow. "Could you?"

_RIIIIIIIIPPP. _

"Damn." Lightning watched her pull off the jeans down the broken back and legs with ease. "I thought that was Fang's thing. That wasn't even down the seam."

"Most Yuns shred clothes," Summer smiled as she discarded the ripped material to the side of the bed. "Being nudists saves a lot of material." Summer's leg wrapped snug around hers and rubbed a perfectly smooth leg up Lightning's. It just made Lightning want the little clothing of her shorts gone. Summer's fingers roved over her ass and fingers inched between her legs from behind. Her forefinger ran along the inner line of her panties. Lightning buried her head in Summer's shoulder and gripped her shirt. Lightning flinched, heart beating fast. There was nothing she wanted more than to feel those experienced fingers inside her, but...

"Summer."

Summer lifted her fingers from the back line of her panties immediately. Lightning almost groaned. Summer's hands moved back up to her shoulders a very safe distance away. "It's okay, Lightning," Summer started to assure. "I'll go as slow as you want."

"It's not that," Lightning cringed, wishing her fingers were back at the seam. Serah would be laughing at her right now. Lightning picked up her head to look at her. "It's…"

"What?" Summer asked, looking into her face earnestly. "You can tell me, Lightning."

Lightning sighed, "Cocoon women have hair," she glanced down her body at herself. "Down there. I haven't had a chance to wax since the GC." When she next met Summer's eye, it was to see the other woman's brow had furrowed as she glimpsed down her body, then back up at Lightning.

"I haven't seen hair on Serah."

"Serah's underdeveloped for her age. The rest of us have it." Lightning bit her tongue at the curious expression Summer kept giving her. "If you want to wait until I'm clean," Lightning followed up with a wince, "I ordered some in yesterday. It should come tonight- "

"Can I see it?" Summer interrupted before she could finish the offer to continue this later.

Lightning winced. This was becoming awkward now. "If Fang's any reference, Yuns don't really like… that kind of hair."

"Fang didn't like it?" Summer asked, seeming surprised. "She said so?"

"She never saw," Lightning corrected. "But she didn't sound like she'd like it; complained a lot about hairy men…"

"Lightning," Summer voiced, and there was a reprimand in there. "Why don't you let me decide if I like it or not?"

Lightning lowered her head with a sigh, "Okay," she glanced up to meet her eyes, "But if you don't like it, tell me. I can get rid of it by the next time we- if there's a next time, I mean."

Summer smiled up at her so pretty. "I hope there's a next time. I'm here for a full week." Lightning offered her a small one back, but didn't feel Summer's enthusiasm when she rolled them to Lightning's back so she was sitting on top this time. Lightning wasn't a self-conscious person, but when paired up next to a flawless beauty in her bed who had absolutely no hair at all, it was just a little intimidating to show herself to the amazon. "You ready?" Summer asked, fingers gently brushing the skin of her hips lovingly.

Lightning laid her head back to the pillow. "Go ahead."

"Lightning," Summer purred her name, leaning over her first to kiss long and passionately in a way that warmed her. "Stay with me, sweetie. Okay?"

"Okay," Lightning agreed, feeling a little better. She closed her eyes and gave a little nod down her body. "Undress me." Summer kissed her cheek.

"That's what I like to hear." Summer moved focus to her neck and licked it. Lightning shivered as Summer lavished her with attention, stroking up her body as she kissed, then bit and chewed the tender spot at her collar. Lightning grunted, then groaned when Summer's fingers touched her chest and started that massaging all over.

"Summer," Lightning groaned, stiffening taut at the nibbling bites, pleasure already frying through her. "Ohhh."

"This is how sexy I find you," Summer whispered, then added pressure to her breasts, enough for Lightning to blank for entire moment. "It's not going to change."

Lightning's eyes fluttered. The only thing that could be sexier right now was to feel her warm skin. "Take off your shirt," Lightning asked, more of a question than a command.

"Is that what you want?" Summer breathed to her neck with a growing smile. She squeezed Lightning's breast one last good one that had her grunting before Summer pushed up into a sitting position. Her hands went to either side of her shirt, crossing over the center. Her smile was one to behold; Lightning would never tire of it. Summer licked her bottom lip. "Like this?" the shirt came off over her head, revealing her perfectly fit stomach under round, wholesome breasts. Lightning was warm just looking at her.

"Are you ever less than perfect?"

Summer grinned and kissed her. Those perfectly round breasts smushed to hers and felt so warm, stimulating Lightning as much as those warm lips that dragged against hers. Lightning savored every brush, relishing in the heat that blossomed through her body. Every sensation felt amazing. Lightning could lie here under her till she came, the sensations were so pleasant. Her fingers roughed into Summer's back, squeezing as Summer purposefully scraped her body. It was almost electric, she was so hot on Lightning. "Mmm," Lightning gripped her and rubbed her body back against Summer. Tingles sparked all over, racing through her heart and breasts outward through her body. Lightning closed her eyes, enjoying this. "Summer. Don't stop." Lightning almost begged it. Summer sparked a kindling fire in her she didn't want to go out.

"I'm going to take care of you, Light. And I'm not going to stop." Summer whispered into her ear. She licked it, making Lightning shudder again. "I promise."

"Better not," Lightning's gaze followed her until Summer reached her breasts. "Ohh," Lightning's eyes fluttered again with the circular lick. Like a professional, Summer suckled her right tit just a moment before gently squeezing her sensitive peak between teeth. Electricity buzzed through her from the point of contact as Summer licked over it once more and moved to the second breast to rinse and repeat. "Summer," Lightning moaned, chest heaving. She didn't even have time to twine fingers through the woman's hair before both peaks had hardened. Summer moved down her body and stopped above her hips.

"I love your belly ring." and Lightning was groaning for a whole other reason as that wicked and delightful tongue explored the crevasse of her pierced ring. Lightning's legs twitched in anticipation, heat so warm in its gathering. And Summer's fingers were already there on her right hip, gently sliding down her panties with perfect ease. Her tongue didn't stop. Lightning's body titillated, any and all forms of shyness forgotten. Summer hummed when she lifted from her belly and rose her legs, completely pulling free her panties to discard them.

"Lightning," Summer realized when they were gone and discarded. She sounded delighted. "You're pink!" It took Lightning a full half a minute to realize she meant her curls, even after Summer touched them. Lightning's mind barely registered but for the lack of touching.

"Please lay on me."

Summer smilingly obeyed, but her fingers -thankfully- didn't leave. "Lightning," Summer purred, looking down her body with fond, sparkling eyes as she stroked fingers through the pink hairs. "They're short and curly," Summer observed, stroking down the sensitive skin in her petting. "It's adorable."

"Like it?" Lightning managed.

"It's very cute." Lightning groaned, but as long as Summer kept stroking, she wasn't protesting. "You know," Summer lifted her eyes to smile at her. "The ancient Umbra were said to have hair like that. All the old depictions illustrate them with it. They were some of the most beautiful women you've ever dreamt of or could imagine." Summer finally stopped stroking. Instead, a finger prodded lower, running over wet lips. "Kind of like you." Summer said with a kiss to her cheek. That finger pushed in and found her button effortlessly.

"Uhhll," Lightning groaned, so pleasured she was almost panting. Lightning could barely see; Summer felt so amazing. "Summer…"

"Don't wax it off, Light," Summer said gently, then applied pressure again. Her thumb wormed in and squeezed Lightning between two fingers. She rolled her, driving Lightning half crazy. "I like it."

Lightning was fast falling into a trance of this pleasure. She bit her lip to keep from moaning again, but it escaped anyway under Summer's administrations, "Summer," Lightning breathed, chest heaving with breaths of pleasure as it stirred and mounted within her. "Kiss me."

"As you wish, beautiful." Summer tilted her head to brush lips to her collar. Her fingers didn't falter for an instant. Lightning closed her eyes, loving every second of it. She could feel herself sloshing around Summer's fingers, she was so wet, but nothing beat this rising pleasure beating so strong out of her chest. And Summer wouldn't stop rolling or kissing her, so hot, even the press of her body sparked heat. "Lightning," Summer murmured and it was like verbal sex to Lightning. "Do you like thrusting?"

Lightning tried to answer, but didn't know if it came out right past a sort of mewing. Summer's fingers left her sizzling button to dip deeper, then two of them digging into Lightning. She balked when Summer started to retreat, but Summer shushed her and took up a pace. Lightning arched in seconds. "Summer…!"

"Enjoy it, Lightning," Summer kissed her collar and neck warmly. Wet pleasure tripled in Lightning with every thrust. "Let go." Lightning arched with the explosion of hot, dripping pleasure and came all over her fingers. Summer held her with the other arm in her arch as colors streaked across Lightning's closed eyes, so sticky and tight, she could feel Summer's fingers leave her, even in the height of her ecstasy. Lightning whimpered with the pleasure of it all and turned her head on the pillow, her body numbed in a glory Lightning hadn't felt before or since Fang.

Lightning's chest heaved. When she could feel beyond the bliss again, she registered a warm weight hugging to her that wasn't uncomfortable at all. Lightning lifted a hand to it and touched Summer's shoulder. She squeezed and breathed in a little unevenly. "Lightning," Summer's fingers grazed her cheek, directing them down to her. She smiled up at Lightning, positioned just a little lower than her. Before she could say anything else undeniably sexy, Lightning dragged her up and kissed her mouth wistfully. She could feel that smile even through their lips and Summer tongued her like a tease before separating, smiling up at Lightning with gleaming eyes and teeth. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Summer," Lightning breathed heavily, if much less raggedly. Her body still tingled. She couldn't put words to how amazing this woman was, but she had more than a feeling Summer already knew that. The only thing left to do was to show how grateful she was for it. "Grab the dildo and straps."

Summer's eyes widened in true surprise. "You want to use it?"

"You like sex better that way, don't you?"

Summer kissed her, excited and furious, wrapped with passion over it. "Lightning," when she pulled away, her face was practically gleeful. "Thank you!" Lightning let her tired head fall back to the pillow as Summer darted away, quick as a fairy for it.

"You're still going to have to show me how to work with it," Lightning added, taking the moment for some much needed air and rest.

"It's a good thing I don't mind gripping that beautiful ass of yours," Summer replied, unwavered by the challenge of it. "Don't worry, Lightning. I've been with virgin studs before. I'll go easy."

"Virgins as in plural?" Lightning quirked an eyebrow. "How many studs have you slept with?"

"You keep track?"

"I guess it's a different world for the Yuns," Lightning admitted as Summer returned with the long, thick dildo. "Nicer there."

Summer slid into bed beside her and offered Lightning a smile. "Cocoon has its perks." She glanced at the dildo, then back at Lightning with gleaming eyes. "This is making me think of babies."

Lightning smiled back and kissed the side of her head. "One step at a time."

"Let me know when you're ready," Summer said, patient for her, but excitement shining through.

"Can I feel it?" Lightning asked, holding out a hand. Summer passed it over. "Pretty heavy," Lightning remarked, having a hard time picturing it attached around her.

"Like Fang," Summer said with dreamy eyes. She held up the straps. "How do we attach it to you?"

Lightning took the straps and holder piece. She fitted the Jumbo through till it fitted into place. "I think it goes like this." Lightning held up the straps and examined them to figure it out.

"Lie down," Summer asked, taking the fitted jumbo from her. Lightning obeyed and glanced down at herself as Summer knelt at her legs. Her smile twitched with an eyebrow up as she gazed down. "Should I lick you clean?"

"Eden," Lightning cursed. "You're going to make me wet again." Summer only seemed amused by this. Lightning redirected her attention. "The strap on's built to get messy. It'll clean later."

Summer's joy was clear enough. "I can't wait to get this on you."

Lightning was glad to see it. After an orgasm like that, she wanted Summer to have second best to her studs. Summer guided her her legs. Leather and fingers brushed Lightning as Summer gently lifted her legs and slid it up. Lightning lifted herself so she could pull it all the way, then pulled up into a kneeling position so they could adjust the leather straps. Summer's shorts were gone by then. Kneeling in front of Summer so close as she stared down with greedy eyes, Lightning could hear her very slightly quickened breath. Summer pulled the strap tighter on the last side. "How's that?" she asked, eyes finally raising to Lightning, and if Lightning wasn't mistaken, her pupil's looked a little dilated too. "Comfortable?"

"Very," Lightning assured, kind of pleased Summer seemed so affected.

"It looks great on you." Summer complimented, then added, "I can't stop thinking of our children. They'd be adorable with your coloring."

Lightning released a small puff of a laugh. Lightning lifted a hand to her cheek fondly. "Let's take care of your fallow."

"Thank you," Summer breathed with a kiss. As her tongue started to freely twine and play with Lightning's, Summer pulled her friend back down to the bed, cushioning Lightning's body with hers under it. She lavished her mouth with furious attention - a mouth that always made her tingle with anticipation, but this time, she sported a heavy, foreign weight over her sex. As Summer pulled Lightning up against her, the extension laid flat to her and dragged. Lightning parted first because it seemed Summer was too excited to. She brushed back her golden mahogany hair with a hand.

"Ready, Summer?"

"Please," Summer asked, too dignified to be a beg, but close to it. Lightning had to adjust to raise her hips enough and gripped the dildo to position it correctly. She felt Summer's hands on the back of her thighs squeezing, and saw her excited, misted eyes of wist. She squeezed her thighs again. "Slowly, Light," Summer asked. "I like the first entry to be painstaking."

Supported by her own arms above her, Lightning nuzzled the dildo to the tip of her folds and glanced up. Summer was beside herself, so pleased. "Like that. Right there." Lightning started lowering her hips slowly back to her. Summer's eyelids fluttered. Lightning could practically hear her squelching to expand and let the large, foreign body in. "Lightning," Summer cooed as this started, grip becoming much tighter on her thighs with every centimeter and inch. "That is… incredible!" she breathed. "It's warm."

"Thermo heating," Lightning reminded gently, savoring every flicker of pleasure that crossed Summer's face as she dipped deeper inside her. Lightning knew it wasn't actually her body part, but when she'd lowered as far as the dildo went, fully swallowed up by Summer, hip to hip, it just felt so intimate. The flickering signs of her pleasure, Summer's full breaths of happiness and relief when she'd taken her, the press of her warm body to Lightning's, and that slight tremble Lightning felt shivering down Summer's legs- Lightning felt like she'd actually pierced her, and that feeling was incredibly arousing and intimate.

"Lighttt," Summer half moaned in delight. "It feels real. You feel amazing."

"Guide me," Lightning whisperingly asked. Summer's smooth fingers went to her hips. Lightning ducked in her head to kiss her chin and cheek as Summer effortlessly lifted her.

"Lift your hips," Summer managed, doing it for her at first. "Just your hips. Ohh," she cringed with Lightning leaving her, wanting her back. "Only halfway," Summer told, eyes closed with the directions at a more manageable height than fully. "Damn, Light. Oh!"

"And I slide back in?" Lightning asked, doing so as she said it in a way that had Summer moaning in surprise and delight. Lightning could watch that pleasure-tortured face all day.

"Yess," Summer breathed, chest heaving against Lightning's. "Just like that." Her hands stayed with her for the next rise and the one after that, but soon, Summer's hands moved; one went to the center of her back, the other snug over her ass. Fingers gripped Lightning in the best of ways, and Summer's pleasure was infectious. Lightning could get high on that beautiful face alone, but add in her body, the slight rub with every dip, the tremble of Summer's skin and her arousing scent growing more and more, it wasn't hard for Lightning to share her rising pleasure.

"Light," Summer breathed when Lightning had reached a sort of rhythm. It wasn't fast, but at least Summer seemed to be enjoying and savoring it. "You learn… " Summer breathed in deeply with Lightning's next descend. "So fast."

"It's easy when you're the teacher."

Summer's eyes were closed in her laying back. "Oh, Light," she spoke between rhythms. "Kiss me."

Lightning obeyed and tried not to falter the steady rhythm. Summer's hand on her ass still helped guide her when the most delightful lips threatened to break it. Summer squeezed her every dip. The brush of skin was exotic. Lightning's breasts smushed to hers, most times gentle, sometimes a little harder on faster descents. Lightning loved every rub of their flesh. "Summer," she breathed back when their lips were free to breathe. Her fingers traced up a perfectly smooth leg and pushed at it to indicate. Summer's legs curled around her thighs, and legs smoothed against Lightning's. Lightning sweated a bit and readjusted for optimal penetration. Summer seemed even more dazed, and Lightning gained a new respect for Fang being able to do this so long while holding out on her own, high release.

"Amazing," Summer cooed, warm and content. Sliding into her became easier the wetter she became. "You're meant to be a stud, Lightning."

Lightning kissed her cheek. "I don't know about that."

"You are," Summer claimed, so high in her ecstasy. "You're so good… so good… mmm."

"Faster?" Lightning asked, wanting her pace to be good enough for Summer.

"No," Summer inhaled, "Not yet," their bodies scraped with Lightning's descent on the release of her breath. "Just… keep this up. Please."

"Okay," Just watching her pleasured face as Summer tilted back her head was rewarding. With every breath, she could see her efforts heightening her ecstasy. It was incredible to watch Summer getting high off of this. Lightning fingered her hairline where she found small beads of sweat. She brushed a few strands back gently, not faltering in pleasuring the woman.

"Lightning," Summer breathed, wrapped in her comfortable pleasure. Her chest heaved with every breath, but she wasn't ready to go just yet. Summer's eyes opened to Lightning. "You're wet."

"So are you." Lightning gently accused back. Summer smiled up at her between pants.

"I wish… you could feel," she released another breath. "How tight I am." Summer released a gasp and closed her eyes again. Her tightened fingers in Lightning's shoulder told her she'd clamped. "You're so good with a dick!" Summer panted. "Umbra," Summer slightly arched with her withdrawals. "I love this." Summer practically purred. "So good, Light. Ohhh," her features pinched just a tiny bit in her pleasure. "Yesss. Light, yesss."

Lightning couldn't help smiling a little. Summer endeared her, even during sex. She had such an enchanting way about her like this. Lightning leaned close to her ear to whisper. "If I were a stud," Lightning murmured to Summer's sigh or gasp, "I'd give you babies whenever you asked."

"Light!" Summer gripped to her suddenly in a clamp of steel, legs winding around her upper thighs and ass as fingers dug into her skin. She clung to her like a cub as a shudder passed through her body. Hot, sticky lust flushed out and even touched Lightning. But all that was felt second sensory. As soon as Lightning felt her stiffening around her, she lifted her face to take in Summer's as the beauty arched under her and panted.

In ecstasy and bliss, Summer was beautiful as ever she'd been. Brow scrunched and features a little crinkled, Lightning thought her both adorable and sexy as sin, knowing she had done that to her. Summer's breath held a little in her peak. When Lightning had watched enough to renew warmth, she lay her head next to Summer's on that flawless body again. Nothing beat Summer's smooth skin as a place to rest.

Breathing came first in soft pants before the grip on Lightning's back and buns loosened enough for Summer to stroke down her skin. Lightning let her catch her breath, then only when she felt relatively sure Summer could function, she spoke softly to keep from hurting her sensitive hearing in this state. "I didn't know you were that close."

"I wasn't before you mentioned children." Summer gave her shoulder an appreciative squeeze. "Can I take you home?"

Lightning smiled again faintly. "That ship has sailed, I'm afraid," it didn't curb the flattery of the question, though. "But thanks."

"Thank you," Summer corrected, looking down their bodies. "I needed that so bad."

Lightning kissed her soft cheek. "I'm going to pull out now," she warned.

"Not too fast," Summer asked. "I'm practically bleedingly sensitive, thanks to you and that." Lightning did as she requested and removed the long inches slowly to Summer's puff of relief or exhaustion. "You'll cuddle again, won't you?" Summer asked as Lightning started to slip off the strap on.

"I wouldn't miss it." Lightning told her truthfully, putting the strap on aside. She crawled up into bed next to Summer, who already turned on her side to be the little spoon. Lightning gratefully attached at her back and wrapped her arms around Summer's midsection. Summer curled right up against her and tucked in. She glanced back over her shoulder at Lightning.

"That was amazing, Light. Thank you."

Lightning pressed lips to the back of her shoulder and kissed. "You were too," she murmured, "I'm still warm from it."

Summer smiled beautifully. "Me too." she turned back her head and nuzzled Lightning for a long moment, quiet until she asked, "Lightning?"

"Hmm?" Lightning asked, already starting to drift with how warm and comfortable this was. Her hammering heart still pounded, but had started to slow for a rest.

"Did you mean it?" Summer asked, "What you said about if you were a stud. Would you give me children if that were the case?"

Lightning found her even more endearing for asking. There was no lie when she said, "I would."

Summer took her overlaying hand in hers. She moved it up over her heart and breast and held in, quietly smiling in front. "Good night, Lightning."

Lightning squeezed her fingers and went to bed.


End file.
